Uncharted Waters
by falconette360
Summary: Waking up in the Vampire Diaries? Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. But never thought that I would be betrayed by the ones I called family. SI/OC Elijah/OC/Klaus
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Vampire Diaries. This story is the product of having too much time on my hands.**

Chapter 1

I slowly came out of a very, very deep sleep and opened my eyes, my eyelashes fluttering a bit. Staring at the mint green ceiling, I quickly came to the conclusion that I had either been kidnapped or had slept so deeply that I missed my parents repainting my room. Since the latter was inconclusive, the former looked the more plausible option.

I cautiously got up and checked my body for any injuries and restraints. Finding none, I was startled to discover that my skin had become Caucasian and tanned. I was also significantly taller and more toned. I checked my hair and was relieved that at least that remained an unchanged black colour. I looked around, taking in my surroundings, and silently berated myself for not doing so earlier.

I was in a bedroom, albeit a tastefully decorated one, with three doors, which I assumed led to the bathroom, closet and the hallway respectively. The bedroom had alternate light green and white walls, with the furniture made of ebony and walnut. The bedspread was white with a jade coloured comforter. To the right of the bed a small vanity and a full-length mirror were situated. The window had a small seat and a desk to the left of it had a laptop and an internet connection to a router. I went and stood in front of the mirror to further investigate my appearance and was shocked speechless.

In front of me stood a Greek goddess. I had long black curls with high cheekbones and fine, arched eyebrows above multi-coloured eyes framed by long sooty eyelashes. Looking closely, I could see that my eyes were a mixture of green, gold and violet, which gave them an iridescent quality. I stood around 5'8", which was a huge difference from my previous 5'2". My body had toned arms and legs and had an hourglass figure and had muscles in places where I had only dreamed of. I was only dressed in a tank top and shorts and yet, managed to make it look amazing. In short, I was drop dead gorgeous. And I was fucking terrified.

After I got over my startling appearance, I started taking in the finer qualities of the room. The tasteful decor and the quality of the furniture said that the owner of the house was rich. I tried the door to the bathroom and found it open. The bathroom was done in subtle shades of green and blue which I found to be somewhat soothing. There was nothing interesting there so I got back in the room. I opened the closet and found the clothes were very much the same style I was used to. Weird. I tried the last door and found it to be open. I didn't venture into the hallway, instead choosing to remain in the room.

A suspicion was starting to form in my mind. I had heard of body snatching from various movies and TV shows. I had thought it to be fiction but hey, anything's possible. I now had to find out just whose body I had been unceremoniously thrust into. Looking around, I spied a book sitting on the vanity. It was a journal which had a lock and the words Artemisia Gilbert embossed on it. Gilbert, I thought, that is not good. I do not want to be in the Vampire Diaries universe of all the things. Why not a nice, safe universe like the Hannah Montana universe? One where there are no vampires?, I cried out in my head.

I found that a small key hung from my neck and tried to open the locked diary. It opened and a small piece of paper fluttered to the floor. I picked it up and found that it contained a list of passwords and combinations of numbers with a description of what they were in front of them. Either Artemisia gilbert was a very forgetful person or she was a precog. I did not know which option was better. I started to read the last entry in the diary, which I noticed was very short.

 _To whomsoever decided to inhabit my body,_

 _My name is Artemisia Gilbert, as you may have found out. Since I was ten, I have had a gift which manifested itself as precognition. I used to get visions and information about the major changes happening to me in the near future, which is how I found out about my parents' death and about the things which go bump in the night. It is also the reason how I found out about you inhabiting my body. I had received a vision about my death and your subsequent arrival in my body on my eighteenth birthday. Happy birthday, BTW. Don't blame yourself for my death, it was written in mine and your destiny. Although, I am sorry about the fact that you got ripped away from your world and your family. I am afraid you won't be able to go back to where you came from._ _I have made a list of all my accounts and passwords for you to make it easier for you. I keep a virtual journal on my laptop. Please find it and read it. It will help you a lot._

 _Au revoir,_

 _A. Gilbert_.

After reading this, I sat heavily back on the bed and stared into space. Everything about this situation screamed fiction, however, I couldn't help but believe her. I was in the vampire diaries universe and was not going back. I was a freaking gilbert. Judging from the information about today being my eighteenth birthday, I was the oldest among my "siblings", Elena and Jeremy. The fact that I was not going back did not bother me much, seeing as I was not close to my parents at all. Trying to wrap my head around all of this, I sat on the desk chair and fired up her laptop. Typing the password and opening up her journal, I started to read, all the while hoping it would give me more insight over what had happened.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : I do not own Vampire Diaries and only own Artemisia.**

Chapter 2

After I finished reading the journal, I sat there on the bed, deeply troubled. I was, to be quite frank, astonished and unsettled about the things I had learnt. Elena and Jeremy were officially on my shit list.

I had discovered that Artemisia had been taking lessons in different martial arts and had been trained as a vampire hunter ever since she had found out about vampires when she was eleven years old. Her training had been overseen by her father, Grayson Gilbert, and later, after his death, by her uncle, Jonathan Gilbert. After the accident, Artemisia had spent the summer with her uncle and had come back in time for Elena's junior year. Artemisia was ten months older than Elena but had completed high school early and graduated at the top of her year. She had put her plans of going to college on hold after her parents' death.

After the Salvatore brothers came into town, she had wanted to kill them but had opted to stay away once she saw the attraction in her sister's eyes. But it seemed that the attention from the extremely attractive brothers had gone to her sister's head. Damon, on Elena's orders, had attempted to compel her on at least four occasions. Once, after Vicki's death, which she was witness to. The second time was when she confronted Elena about the tomb vampires and Anna. The third was when Katherine had come into the house and the last time was when she had seen Damon Salvatore rip out Mason Lockwood's heart. She had been pissed about that since she liked Mason a lot more than she liked Tyler. I thanked god that she was drinking vervain and had sewn little vervain patches on her underwear. I was furious that nobody thought that it was wrong to compel Artemisia, not even Jeremy, who had been compelled himself once. judging from what she had written, so was Artemisia. If only they had not done that, they would have gained an amazing ally.

I panicked at that thought. Artemisia had been trained vigorously but I was not her. how would I even know how to fight a human, let alone a vampire? Just then I saw small post-it note stuck to the laptop.

 _Stop freaking out. You will be able to do everything I was able to. The memories will come slowly over the day and once you sleep, you will remember everything I experienced. For now, it is just muscle memory. You're welcome._ _A._

I let out a whoosh of air in relief as I read the note. That took care of one of my problems. I had read that all of Sia's (from now on I was going to refer to her as Sia as Artemisia is too long) friends were away at college and she did not get along with her sister's friends as she found them to be shallow. She had slowly distanced herself away from her siblings after all the compelling took place. However, she still was very close to her aunt Jenna and her uncle John. She was not a very sociable person but was very well liked by the whole towntown except by Elena's group of friends. However, the Salvatore brothers did not know what to make of her. They seemed to like her but were unsure about what to do after Elena showcased her dislike of her. They seemed to have reached some kind of compromise and had been treating her politely. However she, and I too, were rather furious with Damon after the stunts he pulled on Elena's commands. I scoffed silently, thinking that he really did behave like a love sick puppy.

Overall Sia's personality quite matched mine so there were not going to be any slipups. Even her style of dressing matched mine. She even liked the same colours that I did. It was quite eerie.

I had found out that it was the day before the masquerade and I was quite eager to avoid all that drama as well as to avoid being a victim. I was planning on spending the weekend away in Richmond as Sia had mentioned a vampire friend of hers lived there, a guy named Slater. Yes, the Slater who was like a walking vampire encyclopedia and who was going to be killed by Elijah later. I was quite eager to help him avoid that fate.

I fired of a quick text to him asking him whether we could meet up and called Aunt Jenna at the hospital to enquire about her health and get permission to go away for the weekend. I found that she was going to be discharged tomorrow and that I was free to go today. I quickly packed a bag of clothes and toiletries and donned a pair of black jeans with a green blouse with a black blazer over it. I slipped on a pair of stilettos and grabbed the car keys. While reading, I had been overjoyed to learn that Sia owned a sleek black 1980 Corvette that she had bought partly with her own money and part was from her family.

I slipped into the driver's seat and threw the car into gear. Slowly going out of the garage, I was thrilled at the condition of the car. I was finally on my way to Richmond, all the while hoping that the answers lay ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I don't own Vampire Diaries. This story is of my own imagination.**

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 _ **Chapter 3**_

As I drove into the underground parking lot of the building where Slater lived, I wondered whether I was doing the right thing by questioning Slater about me and my "family" and their relation to vampires. I already knew about the originals and their family drama and about Silas and Qetsiyah, so there was only the mystery of my species. As far as I knew, I was no witch and neither had Sia been one.

Hmm...I guess I had better start referring to this body as mine, otherwise I might start to have an identity crisis sooner or later.

I parked my car and went up the stairs to Slater's apartment. the door swung open before I had a chance to knock, and he exclaimed, delighted, "Artemisia Gilbert, my favourite human! It's so wonderful to see you again. What brings you to my humble abode?"

"It's good to see you too, Slater. Some very curious things have come to my attention lately, ones which you would love to know about. Now, may I come in?"

"Of course. Please, come in."

I followed him into his apartment and sat on a black sofa. He seated himself on a nearby armchair and looked at me expectantly. I sank into the soft cushions and started talking. "Slater, what am I? I am not a witch, vampire or werewolf. However, nor am I a human. I get premonitions and visions of the future. And not to mention, my eyes. I mean," I said, gesturing to my eyes, "no human has eyes like mine. Do you have any idea at all? I am at my wit's end."

Looking over to Slater, I saw that he was deep in thought. He steepled his fingers and mused out loud, "Premonitions, you say? That gets rid of my theory of you being one of the fae. Your eyes are quite distinctive in their iridescence. You could be of elfin blood, however, they have not been seen for almost a thousand years. As far as I know, there are only two options for your type. Wait here," He said, getting up and removing a book from one of the numerous bookshelves lining the walls. Opening the book, he started rifling through its pages. Pointing to a certain page, he said, "You could either be an oracle or a Priestess of Freyja. An oracle is a person who can see the future and can predict someone's fate. They usually go into a trance and speak in riddles. An oracle is always a female."

I thought over what I had read in the journal and said, "I don't think I am an oracle. I don't go into a trance or speak in riddles. I usually just get information or a feeling about an event in the future which I am supposed to change. What does the book say about the priestess thing?"

"Priestesses of Freyja are rumoured to be extremely beautiful and have the gift of seeing the future. Freyja is known as the Norse goddess of beauty, love, death and war and is also known for being a powerful seer. Judging by what you have said, I think that you are a priestess. But be extremely careful, Priestesses of Freyja are extremely rare, like once-a-century rare. They are said to be mortal, yet they keep their powers if they are turned into a vampire. They are coveted by many supernaturals for their powers and especially by the Originals."

At this, I felt a frisson of fear run through me. The Originals coveted my kind? Not good. A thought hit me. "Slater, that reminds me, I had a vision about you two days ago. You would have been killed in three days at the hands of Elijah Mikaelson if I had not come to warn you. You need to know that the Originals can compel normal vampires as well. So you need to drink vervain daily. Please, I am begging you, heed my warning. Pack your bags and leave town immediately. I have the number of a witch who owes me a lot of favours. She will be able to make you a daylight ring to enable you to walk in the day as well. and what ever you do, don't reply if Rose contacts you. It will mean your death. So, what will you do?" I asked Slater, who had gone quite pale, even for a vampire. He just nodded his acceptance, still looking white-faced and terrified. I patted his knee and got up to leave. just as I was going to say goodbye, I found myself swept up in a bear hug, Slater muttering his thanks in my ears repeatedly.

I got into my car and started searching for a hotel to stay for the weekend. While getting ready to go to Richmond, I had grabbed Sia's purse, which contained a driver's license and a wallet. I deduced that the Gilberts must be quite well off, seeing as the wallet was full of cash and there were a few credit and debit cards as well. I quickly found a nearby hotel and booked a room for three days.

I entered my room and dumped my bag on the bed. I took out my phone and typed a text message to Sia's favourite witch, Gabrielle, who was around fifty years old and looked around twenty. I asked her if she was able to make a daylight ring in the next hour or so and sent the text. After half an hour, I got a reply from her stating that the ring was ready and to send someone to pick it up. I sent her my thanks and fired of a message to Slater, telling him from where to pick up his ring and to say that I had sent him. He replied with his thanks and said that he was on his way to Gabrielle's house and that he was heading to California later. I called him to say goodbye and told him to take care and to keep in touch.

After ending the call, I flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Three days of doing absolutely nothing to avoid the drama. Joy.

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 **A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I would love to know what you guys think of this story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do not own Vampire Diaries. This story is a product of my vivid imagination and the fact that I have nothing else to do nowadays.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 4_**

When I came back from my weekend away, I found the whole house to be eerily silent. I then realised that it was a school day and that Aunt Jenna must be resting due to the stab wound. I unpacked my bag and went to lie down on the bed. While I was in Richmond, I had finally gotten all of Artemisia Gilbert's memories. Thinking over them, I found my respect and admiration for her shooting up. I almost couldn't believe that she had survived and lived through those many harrowing experiences. She had been attacked by numerous vampires and werewolves over the years and had lived to tell the tale. Her training at the hands of her father and uncle, and her lessons in the various martial art forms had made her into a highly efficient and deadly hunter. I stared at the closet and quickly made a decision. The woods were a perfect place to practice and familiarise myself with the training practices, since it was day time and no where near a full moon.

I sat up and went to the secret compartment in the closet, where Artemisia had hidden her weapons. Inside the compartment were various guns, which used both wooden and normal bullets; a collapsible _bo_ staff; several swords, which included two of the most beautiful _katanas_ I had ever seen; numerous throwing knives and daggers; and various weapons that shot wooden stakes, with an impressive stash of stakes beside them. I grabbed all the weapons except the guns and the ones with the stakes, and put them in a black ski bag which was hanging nearby. I donned a black tank top and some brown cargo pants, and tied my hair in a bun. I checked in on Aunt Jenna and chuckled at the sight in front of me. She was asleep on her bed, dead to the world.

I went to the woods and searched for a clearing in which to practice my exercises. Finding one a bit deep in the woods, I quickly started setting up the training area, relying on my new memories and my muscle memory. I started with some _T'ai chi_ exercises, followed by some _Jiu-jitsu, Judo,_ and ending with _K_ _rav Maga_ shadow fighting. I then started practising with the _bo_ staff as well as the _katanas_. I also did some targeting with the throwing knives. I ended the training with some sit ups and push ups, and collapsed on the ground, exhausted. I heard slow clapping coming from somewhere to the left of me, and I was immediately in a defensive crouch, the _bo_ staff in my hand.

I saw Stefan and Damon lounging against a tree, and immediately straightened out of my position but kept my staff ready. "What are the Salvatore brothers doing so deep in the woods?" I asked them, suspicious of the reason but then I remembered that according to the TV series, they had just been to visit Katherine in the tomb.

"We should ask you the same question, sweetheart. And while we are at it, how did you learn all those martial arts? And don't you know that swords are quite dangerous?" shot back Damon. Stefan nodded when he heard his brother's questions.

"Not that it is any of your business, but as you can see, I was practising and training. ans as to how and why I learnt them, well, after getting assaulted and almost killed by four men over the course of two months, you kind of get the idea of learning how to defend yourself", I said, tiredly. I just left out the fact those men had been vampires and that I had smelled very appetizing to them. "And Damon? I know that swords can be rather dangerous and lethal. Why do you think i have them?" I asked Damon over my shoulder, as I turned to head back to my house, leaving both men stupefied.

Over the next few weeks, I caught up with my training and helped Aunt Jenna recover from the stabbing. I found out that Aunt Jenna was quite close to Sia and I grew very fond of her as I helped her through her physiotherapy. And from what I could overhear of my siblings' conversations, the timeline from the show had not been altered much by my interference except that Elena had never gone to Slater's apartment and therefore, had never found out that Elijah was still alive. Jeremy had still gone and gotten himself bitten by Katherine. I shook my head wryly when I heard that. Apparently, being stupid seems to be the running theme among my siblings. And Stefan was stuck in the tomb until Elijah appeared in town.

I went down the stairs one morning and found my aunt digging through the cupboard under the stairs, while my sister stood there, talking to her. "So, are we enacting Harry Potter here?" I asked them humorously. they both jumped at the sound of my voice and sent me twin glares.

"No, I am digging through your mother's historical society things," Jenna said, gathering a box in here arms and closing the visibly jumped as an imposing Elijah came into view. "Girls, meet Elijah Smith. He is writing a book on the histories of small towns and Mayor Lockwood asked me to help him. Elijah, meet my nieces, Elena and Artemisia Gilbert," introduced Jenna. I was internally amused by Elena's deer-in-the-headlights look and stepped forward to shake his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. _Smith_ ," I said, uttering his surname in a sarcastic manner which only he caught, judging by the way the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Offering him my hand, I shook my head minutely and gestured slightly towards Elena, hoping he would get the message. He nodded silently and instead of shaking my hand, he took it and ghosted his lips over my knuckles.

"Charmed," He said, smiling, still holding my hand. Jenna glanced between the two of us and snickered. I shot her a mock glare and said, "Please excuse my rudeness, , but I need to go upstairs for a bit. Once again, it was a pleasure meeting you."

I took my leave before anyone could say anything and went into my room. I knew that Elijah would be talking to Elena and making his deal, so I started meditating to calm my racing heart. Seeing Elijah in the flesh made the danger even more real. slater's words flashed into my mind. The Originals coveted my kind, therefore I was not sure whether to reveal my nature or not. On one hand, it might guarantee my protection, but on the other hand it might mean goodbye to my freedom. I decided not to say anything about my kind today, however, I planned to tell him everything else.

"You seem deep in thought, Miss Gilbert. Anything you would care to share?" I heard him say.

I calmly opened my eyes and saw him in my bedroom. It was Elijah Mikaelson himself.

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 **A/N: In response to the reviews, I would like to say thank you. there will not be much romance but yes, I was planning on making it Elijah/OC. there will be a showdown between my OC and the Scooby gang where some secrets come to light. so, until next time! Toodles!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own Vampire Diaries and only own my OC.**

* * *

 _Chapter 5_

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Saying nothing at first, I merely gazed upon his elegant features for a while. I had to admit that he cut a delicious, yet dangerous, figure in his finely tailored black suit, which was accessorized by a blood red tie. "Please, make yourself comfortable. We are going to be here for a while," I said and gestured towards an armchair for him to sit on. "But, before I start, _Mr. Mikaelson_ , I need to ask you whether my sister knows that I know who you are and that we are having a conversation."

He seated himself and gazed at me, his face unreadable. He replied, "No, I felt it prudent that I not tell her that I will be talking to her sister, based on the fact that she is under the impression that you don't know anything about the supernatural world. I wonder how that came to be, hmm?" Giving me a look, he continued, "Did you know that when I offered her a deal and mentioned your name amongst those under my protection, she was quite surprised, like she had forgotten about you?"

I was quite surprised to hear that, since in the show, it had been shown that Elena cared a lot about her family. However, I was not hurt or disappointed, since I did not really consider her a sibling and because of the fact that she was one of the least favourite characters of mine on the show. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Honestly, it is probably because of me. I have been pulling away from my siblings a lot since the last few months."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you distancing yourself from your family?" Elijah queried.

"Well A. I am not distancing myself from my whole family, just my siblings. I am still very close to Jenna and John. And B. It's because of the fact that my sister had tried to have me compelled on four occasions. Not that she knows that it had had no effect on me. She doesn't want me to be knowledgeable about the supernatural world and wants to keep me in the dark, along with Jenna, all because she wants to be at the centre of everyone's attention," I answered, almost laughing at the disbelieving expression on his face, upon hearing Elena's actions. No doubt he thought her to be sweet, helpful and self-sacrificing. "Which, I must say, did not work according to her wishes at all. I have known about the supernatural world since I was eleven, being trained by my father and uncle to become a hunter, and a proficient one at that. I find it oddly fitting that my name is derived from Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. But to my uncle's dismay, I turned into a hunter of just rabid supernaturals, not all of them. I have killed vampires, werewolves, and witches who had gone over to the dark side. Nobody in the family knows about my extracurricular activities other than Uncle John. But I plan to rectify that soon, as I am telling Aunt Jenna about the supernatural world, including the Salvatore brothers and you. So please don't try to compel my aunt, not that it would do anything, as she is on vervain." I finished. I had deliberately left out things about me being a Priestess of Frejya, knowing nothing good would come out of it.

"Thank you for telling me about this. I cannot believe your sister would do such a thing. Her previous actions in my presence led me to think that she was an innocent. But this indicates otherwise. I had come here to meet you and tell you the same things I told your sister, but the fact that you know my last name shows that you are quite knowledgeable about this curse and its nature and about my family. So I am asking you to keep quiet about your information about this for the near future," He said, his heavy gaze on my face, eyes inscrutable. I got the feeling that he was not so much as asking, as he was threatening. I nodded silently, giving my assent to his "request", not that I had any choice in the matter. He nodded back and wished me a good day, before vanishing in a slight breeze. I whooshed out a breath and went back downstairs.

I found Jenna in the kitchen, chopping vegetables. I had retrieved one of the gilbert journals as ammunition in my quest to integrate Jenna into the supernatural secret. So, journal in hand, I sat on a stool, took a deep breath and started talking. I told her about finding out about vampires and the like, through journals and my father and uncle; about my evolution into a vampire hunter; and about the goings on in the town and about Elena and Jeremy's involvement in them. I also told her about the curse and about the Originals. However, I kept quiet about my abilities and that I was a body-snatching, dimension-hopping time traveller. As my story progressed, Jenna's face went from incredulous, to afraid, to betrayed, and finally to determined. She then started ranting and raving about my siblings, while an amused smile played at my lips at the display from the normally pleasant woman. After my assurances that I would keep her in the loop and after imploring her to keep quiet about mine and her knowledge, I went back to my bedroom and went to sleep.

The next evening, as I was coming down the stairs, I heard the tail end of a conversation between Jenna and John Gilbert. "...am Elena's biological father." Going by the virtual journal, I knew that Artemisia gilbert had never been told that Elena had been adopted. Therefore, I went into the room and loudly exclaimed, "WHAT? What do you mean you're her biological father? Elena's adopted? Why was I never told this?" As I fired off question after question, I saw their faces adopting an 'oh shit' expression. I was secretly very much amused at their faces.

Jenna recovered first and said, "I am sorry, Arty, I should have told you this before. I honestly thought that Elena was going to tell you herself. Apparently, she hasn't." Here Jenna levelled a scathing look at Elena.

Then John composed himself and said, as if having an epiphany, "Wait. If you did not know about Elena, then you don't know about yourself..." He trailed off.

I growled at him, honestly angered that I did not know about this before, "What about myself, Uncle John?"

"Artemisia, you are adopted as well.

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 **A/N: Please review! I would love to hear more about what you think of the story. Until we meet again. Ciao!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. It belongs to whoever wrote it. I only own my OC.**

* * *

 _Chapter 6_

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Adopted. I was freaking adopted. I mean, Artemisia Gilbert was freaking adopted. My head was spinning and the others were not helping matters by telling me things which I had apparently not been told. I had been found on the Gilbert's doorstep eighteen years ago. Anyone get a Harry Potter vibe? Me too. Miranda, being the gentle soul she had been, had immediately adopted me. There was no note or anything of the sort found with me. Seemingly, I had all but appeared out of thin air. It seemed that everyone was aware of this fact except me, which was confusing, as Artemisia should have had seen this. I was visibly angry and everyone took a step back for the impending explosion.

However, I simply took a deep breath and announced, "While I am incredibly disappointed in you lot for not telling me about this, I simply don't care that I have been adopted. As far I know, Miranda was my mom and Grayson, my dad. John, you are still my uncle and Jenna my aunt. As far I am concerned, my biological parents gave me up and lost all right to me. I will not attempt to find my parents and neither will you. They are non-existent to me. Now, if there aren't any further bombshells, I am going to bed. Please don't talk to me, unless absolutely necessary, for the next few days." I turned and went upstairs again, ignoring their calls for me.

The next few days were spent with me ignoring my family and their attempts at re-establishing my trust in them. This was mostly John and Jenna, as my siblings were busy doing god knew what. I admit that it hurt when they did not even notice my being upset and angry with them. After a while, I started warming up to my aunt and uncle again and stopped ignoring them.

A few days ago, I had had an epiphany. I noticed that I had started referring to the Gilberts as my family and the body of Artemisia as mine too. I had seamlessly integrated myself into the alternate dimension and into the life of Artemisia Gilbert. I guess time made everything easier. It also helped that there were no friends of Sia in town to guess that there was something amiss. I had asked Uncle John to keep quiet about my being a hunter and had told him that Jenna was in on the secret about the supernatural world. He had been understandably disgruntled but hadn't protested when I'd said that it was better if she knew. They then had a long conversation in which Jenna was told that Isobel, who was Elena's biological mother and Jenna's boyfriend, Alaric Saltzman's wife was alive and a vampire to boot. I hadn't been able to tell her about this since I was not supposed to know about Elena being adopted.

* * *

I was just getting ready to go to bed when I had my first real vision, as opposed to those in my memories.

 _I was near a carnival, in a parking lot where there were very few people around. I heard a sound, which sounded like a pained groan, and decided to investigate it. I went to the back of the parking lot when I felt a searing pain in the junction between my neck and shoulder. I twisted around and found Rose's demonic face inches away from mine._

I came out of the vision with a shudder, quite unsettled by it. I recalled that Rose had been bitten by a werewolf in the show. So that must have been it. She had been driven mad due to the bite, since the cure had not been found yet. I looked out of the window to check on the moon phase, and found that it was a full moon that night. So the vision was of the next day.

The following morning, I continued with my daily training in the woods. This time, my aunt and uncle accompanied me to my clearing. I did all of my exercises, with my uncle training me in my hunter practices. After completing my routine, I found Aunt Jenna standing to the side with her jaw dropped. "What...how...when..." she stuttered, her eyes wide. "Since when were you able to do this?" She shrieked.

"Since I was twelve years old, I think. I had found out about vampires from the old Gilbert journals when I was eleven. When I was twelve, I was attacked by a vampire. Thankfully, Dad killed it before it could hurt me. Since then, he started training me to be a hunter. Later, Uncle John joined us. I also got trained by various martial arts masters and voila! This is the result."

Jenna just stood there, blinking. I saw Uncle John standing beside me, trying to rein in his laughter and failing miserably. I myself was very amused by her reaction. I let out a snicker and said, "Let's go back, shall we?"

For the rest of the day, Jenna and I lazed around and did absolutely nothing. John had excused himself from our lazy day in, citing some previous engagement. As the evening approached, Jenna suggested that I go and get ourselves some cotton candy from the carnival. As she said this, I was filled with trepidation. Seeing no way out of this situation without giving away my powers, I agreed and went upstairs to change. I quickly donned on some jeans and slipped some stakes into my boots.

I pulled into the carnival parking lot and got out, locking up my car. I looked around and heard the same groan from my vision. I walked around a couple of cars and heard a sound behind me. Not wanting the vision to come true, I swiftly took out a stake and spun around. I got a glimpse of red and black eyes before I was thrown to the ground, a heavy weight on top of me, trying to sink their fangs in me. I flipped them off and found that it was Rose. I felt some remorse, as I liked her character in the TV series, but it was not enough to stop my instincts coming forth and to stop me from driving a stake into her heart. Rose became still as grey and black veins slithered over her body and she exhaled her last breath. I bowed my head and sat back on the ground.

I heard someone cry out and raised my head. I saw my sister and Damon standing there, incredulous expressions on their faces. Damon's eyes were suspiciously bright when he saw Rose's body. I winced, knowing that he really had cared about Rose. I rose from the ground and heard Elena say, "What the hell happened here? Artemisia, how did you manage to kill Rose? How on earth do you know how to kill vampires?"

"Ah, so the thing is, I am a supernatural hunter as well," I said with a sheepish expression.

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 **A/N: Please review! Until we meet again. Sayonara!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I don't own Vampire Diaries or its' characters. I only own my OC, Artemisia**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 7_**

* * *

Looking back, I guess I should not have revealed my secret in such a nonchalant way. I could tell by Elena and Damon's flabbergasted faces that they were questioning the evidence given by their eyes and ears. I had not planned on giving away any information about myself this early in the plot. I had planned on meddling a bit more before having my grand reveal (cue mental snickering). Its not like I had planned on deliberately upsetting my sister. It just happened.

I could see that Elena's face had lost some of its disbelief and was gaining some anger and outrage. I knew she was getting angry over the fact that I had not told her anything about this. Which was rather hypocritical of her, seeing as she had had me compelled to foget about her extra curricular activities. Damon, on the other hand, was quietly grieving over Rose. He picked up her body and started to put her in the trunk of his car. I stopped him and put a hand on rose's forehead, murmuring, " _Liða á Valhöll með frjálsu_." I was acting purely on instinct and had no idea where the Old Norse blessing had come from. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was a part of being a Priestess of Freyja. I even understood what I was saying, which freaked me out considering that I had no prior knowledge of the Viking tongue. Damon looked at me weirdly but seemed to understand and appreciate my sentiment. He nodded at me to indicate that he understood my motivation and my instinct of self-preservation and indicated with his eyes that he wanted me to go with him. I nodded and threw Elena my car keys, telling her to drive my car back home. I got into his car and settled into the comfortable seat.

Now you may think that it was very stupid and naïve of me to get into a car with Damon, just after I had killed his friend, but I trusted my instincts and they were telling me that it was safe for me to be in his vicinity. Damon got into the driver's seat and started the car. He was silent for a while, sneaking glances in my direction. I gave a sigh and glared at him pointedly.

He pursed up his lips and asked, "Since when?"

I knew what he was asking and replied, "I started when I was eleven. The men I told you about, the ones that attacked me, they were vampires. I found out about vampires from the Gilbert journals and asked my father about it. When I was twelve, I was attacked by a vampire. Thankfully, my father had been nearby and he disposed of the vampire easily. Since then I was trained by my father and uncle in the art of vampire hunting. However, I just hunt rabid and evil supernatural beings, like rippers, dark witches and human-eating werewolves. My father and my uncle despaired that I chose not to hunt all vampires, just those who had gone over to the dark side. Now, any questions?"

"You say you hunt rippers, but my brother is still breathing. Why? And while we are at it, why did you let us think that I was successful in compelling you?"

"While I do hunt rippers, I also know that your brother drinks only from animals. And there is also the fact that he brought my sister out of her depression. And though she then turned into a selfish bitch, I am not one to begrudge my sister her happiness. And as to why I let you guys think that I was successfully compelled, well, it made it easier for me to continue with my training, without anyone being suspicious. It also allowed me to know the real side of you guys. Did you know that I was adopted?" I asked him.

"No, I did not!" he exclaimed, veritably surprised.

I went on, "Neither did I. And everyone else in my family knew that and no one told me. I was not even told that Elena was adopted too and that her mom was still alive. Elena told Jenna that she was going to tell me about this herself. Apparently, she had no intention of doing that. Even Jeremy knew about this. And I am supposed to be their elder sister." I took a deep breath and continued my rant, "And her deceptions do not end here. Tell me Damon, did she not tell you to compel me every time you did it? If I hadn't been drinking vervain, do you suppose she would have eventually told me any of this?"

Damon clenched his jaw and stared ahead out of the windscreen. I saw his fingers tighten on the steering wheel and could see that he was thinking of my words.

"You're right, Artemisia. Every time I compelled you, it was because she begged me to do it. Said that it would be too much for you to handle. I always wondered why Jeremy seemed to go along with Elena's wishes, when he almost raised hell when he found out that he had been compelled once. I admit that I am in love with your sister but I am not blind to her faults. I have observed that she likes having both Stefan's and my attention. I had protested her decision to compel you quite vehemently the last two times, but was overruled again and again. Being an elder sibling myself, I quite understand where you're coming from. And I think that you would have found out about the happenings in town before long," he said.

I goggled at his long speech, never expecting that he would commiserate with me.

He glanced at my face and smirked, saying, "Did not expect that, did you? What did you expect me to be, a love sick puppy?" Looking at my guilty face, he laughed bitterly and said, "I guess I deserve that. Like you, I keep my real personality hidden. Its better for me of they think I am a pushover when it comes to love. It makes it easier for me to do my own thing, away from the judgmental looks from the Scooby gang."

I grimaced at him in sympathy. There was one thought niggling in my brain and asked him, "Damon, why are you not angry and upset at me for killing Rose? I was under the impression that you cared about her. And why are you so accepting of the fact that i am a hunter?"

"Despite you thinking otherwise, i did not care that much about rose. Yes, she was my friend, but i am not as cut up over her death as i would have been, if we had been closer. I am not upset or angry with you, because of the simple fact that i would have done the exact same thing in your place. She was a vampire who was about to take a bite out of you and you are a hunter. Your instincts took over and you staked her. And as to why i am taking in your being a hunter is because i always knew there was something different about the way you held yourself. Kind of like a soldier," he explained, with an unreadable look in his eyes.

Then he smirked and said, "We are almost at your house. Elena is waiting for you with Stefan and Jeremy. Enjoy explaining this to them." I widened my eyes and stared at the house in growing trepidation. Damon started cackling like a madman.

* * *

 _Liða á Valhöll með frjálsu_ \- Pass onto Valhalla in peace.

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 **A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! And keep on reviewing. Auf Wiedersehen!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Happy New Year to all my readers. I don't own Vampire Diaries nor its characters. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8**_

* * *

Damon parked in front of my house and turned towards me with a devilish smirk on his face. I was mentally going over what I wanted to reveal to Elena and Jeremy. I personally wanted to tell them to go to hell, since they had kept their own secrets. But a part of me, which I think got carried over from the original owner of this body, wanted to mend fences with my siblings. I was quite concerned about whether I was developing another personality or not. I had found myself making decisions that I normally wouldn't make. But that was an issue for another day. I had an angry sister waiting for answers and I had no idea how to handle the situation. On one hand, I really wished to yell at my siblings and accuse them of their wrongdoings, but on the other, I just wanted to ignore them and go to bed. It really had been a tiring day. I heaved a sigh and got out of the car, grudgingly.

I stepped into the foyer and could hear my siblings bickering in the hall. I had sent off a text to aunt Jenna detailing that night's occurrences and informed her that Elena had found out about me and told her to retire to bed lest she gave something away. Hopefully she had done the same. I entered the room where Elena and Jeremy were in, and immediately the argument died down. Elena was immediately in my face and she started yelling, "Why did you not tell us about you knowing of vampires? How did you become a hunter? Were we not important enough to you that we did not qualify for knowing about this?"

I rubbed my ears and glared at her, my expression scornful. "Why would I?" I asked her simply, having had enough of her high-handedness. She had no right to demand any answers from me and I told her so.

I could literally see her puffing up in rage and snickered internally. I glanced at Jeremy and saw that he had a wounded expression on his face, but it did not move me. In my opinion, he should never had agreed with Elena to have me compelled. In the TV series, it was shown that Jeremy had a bit of a backbone and did not go along with every wish of Elena's. I scoffed at him and said, "You both lost my trust the first time Elena tried to have me compelled, not that you knew that the compulsion had not stuck. Thank god, I drink vervain every day. Tell me Jeremy," I addressed him, accusingly, "When you found out that you had been compelled to forget, why did you not come to me, when you knew that the same thing had been done to me? Why did you not even attempt to stop me being compelled that second time? You, you are a fucking hypocrite! You gave Elena grief over having had you compelled and yet, you were willing for me to be compelled, not once, but four freaking times! And Elena," I then turned to my _dear_ sister, "You have no fucking right to demand to know my secrets when you have been keeping secrets since the Salvatores came into town. And as to how I found out about vampires, one of them tried to take a bite out of me when I was twelve. I was saved by a hunter. Now, I am going to bed and none of you will disturb me. I will not divulge any more of my secrets, since you lost the right to know about them. Goodnight Elena, Jeremy." I deliberately left out the fact that the hunter had been our father, as that would open up a can of worms I was not ready to face. I turned and headed upstairs, while texting Damon to meet me in my room.

I quickly changed into some shorts and a tank top and waited for Damon to come. I did not want the others to know what I had told Damon. It may seem naïve but I trusted my instincts, and they were telling me that Damon was trustworthy in this matter.

There was a whoosh of air and Damon stood in front of me. He was smirking and I realized that he had heard what had transpired downstairs. He seated himself in the armchair and said, "You do know how to shut someone up. your siblings were silent for a whole fifteen minutes, did you know that? Now, what was so urgent, sweet cheeks, that you had to text _me_?"

I was quiet for a while and sat there, lost in my thoughts. Damon raised an eyebrow and that was the signal for me to start talking. "Damon, I am imploring you to keep the things I have told you to yourself. While the information is not important or life-changing, it is something I have told you in confidence. I know that I hold no part of your loyalty. That is why I am begging you, please, don't tell the Scooby gang about this. I would like to keep them in the dark about this." I said to him.

He was silent for a while, frowning thoughtfully. He said, "How about this? I don't tell anyone about this and be your spy in the gang, informing you about all the happenings and decisions made. In return, we start over. You will forgive me for my past misdeeds related to you. I would like us to become friends. Earlier we couldn't, because Elena did not like us associating with you. Now though," he shrugged.

I felt a smile bloom on my face on listening to his words. I said, "Deal and I will help you in your endeavors, if at all you need the help of a seasoned supernatural hunter."

I extended my hand and he kissed the back of it, behaving like a true southern gentleman.

"Secrets, espionage and mayhem. I believe our friendship is off to a beautiful start, Miss Gilbert."

I smirked at him and curtsied.

"Indeed, Mr. Salvatore, indeed."

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 **A/N: Please review, my dear readers. Let's start the new year with reviews, shall we? Until we meet again!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I don't own vampire diaries or its characters. If I did, I would have let Jenna live.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9**_

* * *

After my argument with my siblings, I did not venture out of the house much, except for training with my uncle. During that time I informed aunt Jenna about my rant at my siblings, at which she was rather supportive of my words, since she felt the same about them, as they had been keeping her in the dark as well. We planned on letting the others think that Jenna was unaware of what was really going on around her. She had also been thinking of breaking up with Alaric, since he had also been keeping this from her. However, I convinced her that he had her wellbeing at heart and managed to save their relationship. However, she remained quite angry at her boyfriend, which I could do nothing about.

During our training sessions, John would push me harder and harder. It was probably the presence of an original vampire that was making him paranoid, more so than ever. I was not as worried as him, though I had more reason to be so. I told him that I was not in as much danger as Elena was, but he told me to shut up and train harder. I was very amused at his actions but did not dare to tell him that. I did tell him that Elijah was not the enemy right now, that is, if we played by his rules, but he did not seem to believe me. I shrugged at that and did not pursue the topic. I knew he was working with Katherine and had gotten hold of the silver dagger and the white oak ash, and wanted it to be used on Elijah. I had no intention of letting it happen and planned to warn him about it. How I was going to do that, I had no idea but eventually, I decided to just wing it.

I was slightly concerned about the fact that I am a Priestess of Freyja being known to anyone, but I knew I had covered my bases well. I had sworn Slater to privacy and as additional insurance, I had Gabrielle, the witch I knew, spell his daylight ring so that he wouldn't be able to tell anyone about what had happened in his apartment and the things which we had learnt about.

I had further researched about Freyja and her priestesses, and had found out many interesting things. I learnt that Freyja had been one of the most popular and beloved of the Nordic goddesses. She was known as the most beautiful woman in the nine realms of the Norse pantheon. She was the Vanir goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was also the goddess of magic, war and death. She was also known as the most powerful seer after the three Norns . She ruled over Fólkvangr, the heavenly afterlife field where half of those who were slain in battle went. The other half were sent to Valhalla. Her priestesses were usually seen as the more magically-inclined counterpart to the Valkyries . Priestesses of Freyja were rarely seen or heard of and were thought of as a myth.

While Wiccan magic, the one practiced by witches, had Greek and Latin roots, Priestesses of Freyja had _seiðr_ , magic which came from inside the soul. _Seiðr_ manifests itself as one of the attributes of Freyja, like it manifested in me as precognition and premonitions. One of the major differences from wiccan magic is that _seiðr_ is magnified when a Priestess chooses to become a vampire. Since Freyja was the goddess of death, vampires are sometimes referred to as Children of Freyja. One amusing note in one of the books said that werewolves were creatures of Loki and since Loki and Freyja were always at loggerheads, the vampires and werewolves are similarly enemies of each other's. I did not put much stock in it because I knew that werewolves predated vampires. But it was funny nonetheless. However, The fact about being a vampire amplifying my powers bothered me a lot. How come there was no record of there being a vampire Priestess? Had they all been killed off? Or had they not survived the transition to being a vampire? These questions plagued my mind for days afterwards, making my behavior rather silent and distracted. This very much alarmed my aunt and uncle, seeing as I was a rather out-going and cheerful.

It was only us three and Jeremy in the house and he was always out somewhere, probably hanging out with bonnie. I remembered from the show that they must have gotten together by then. Elena was spending the weekend at our family's lake house with Stefan and I was glad that she was away. I had been getting tired of her whining and constant questioning. Damon had informed me of Caroline's kidnapping by the wolves. He had also been nursing his pride and grousing about the fact that they all had been saved by Elijah's warlock. I had laughed my ass off at his complaining and told him suck it up. He had not been amused at that.

* * *

I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, critiquing my appearance. Aunt Jenna was dragging me off to a tea party at the Lockwood mansion, which was being held in honor of Elijah _Smith_ , a well-known "writer". I had only agreed to it because I wanted to see Damon's ass being handed to him by Elijah.

I had donned a white, knee length lace dress, with a non-existent back and a red, satin bow at the small of my back. It had a sweetheart neckline and wide shoulder straps. I paired the dress with a ruby pendant on a gold chain and ruby teardrop earrings. I was satisfied with the overall image and slipped on a pair of red stilettos and went downstairs. I found Aunt Jenna waiting for me, looking absolutely fabulous. I looped my arm around hers and said, "Let's go and hunt, shall we, Auntie dearest?" She tinkles out a laugh and replied, "Yes, let's go, Arty dearest!"

We arrived at the Lockwood home and my aunt immediately dragged me off to meet some old hags I had absolutely no wish to meet again. I tried to remove my arm from her hold, but to no avail. I was dragged from place to place and was thoroughly confused by the numerous faces. At last I was in a group which included Jenna, me, Damon and Andy Starr, Damon's "girlfriend". I seriously disliked her in the first glance. I had not even liked her in the show. While I knew she was just compelled, her personality left a lot to be desired. I arched an eyebrow in Damon's direction and the cocky bastard just smirked. I shook my head and looked around.

I caught the eye of Elijah as he was led in our direction by Mrs. Lockwood and he inclined his head. I acknowledged him with a nod as well and he smiled. He was looking very handsome in his suit and I fought hard not to blush. That would have led to numerous awkward questions from Damon later.

"Everyone, I would like to meet Mr. Elijah Smith. Elijah, these are Jenna Sommers, Andy Starr, Damon Salvatore," introduced Mrs. Lockwood. When she introduced Damon and Elijah, they had an intense, testosterone filled silent exchange of gazes. "And Artemisia Gilbert." Mrs. Lockwood finished. As I was introduced, Elijah broke his silent stand-off with Damon to take my hand and kiss it.

"We meet again, Miss Gilbert. It's very nice to meet you again." He said in his deep voice. I almost swooned and caught Damon giving me an odd look. I composed myself and replied, "it's nice to meet you again as well, Mr. Smith."

"Jenna is going to give Elijah a tour of the old founding family properties tomorrow. Say Artemisia, why don't you accompany these two tomorrow on their tour, seeing as you are such a history buff? All her history teachers used to rave about her," said Mrs. Lockwood.

 _They did? I am?_ My head was reeling from this information as I found myself nodding in agreement to the suggestion. Elijah was looking pleased for some reason.

I quickly took my leave and sat in my car, thinking. None of the memories I'd gotten from the original owner of this body had indicated that I'd been a history buff. Or were only relevant memories being shared? I was quite confused. This merited looking into.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review, my dear readers. Every review matters.**

 **I have a question. Should impair Artemisia with just Elijah or should I make it a ménage à trois with Klaus and them? Please answer in the comments!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I don't own Vampire Diaries or its characters. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10**_

* * *

I stood in front of my mirror, debating with myself whether to go with Aunt Jenna on her "history" tour or not. After thinking for a while, I said, "What the hell," and threw on a white shirt and jeans, paired with a leather jacket and black combat boots. Going downstairs into the kitchen, I started making breakfast. I quickly threw together some pancakes and fried some bacon and eggs. Just as I was finishing, Jenna came into the kitchen and thanked me for making breakfast. I smiled at her and told her that I'd be waiting in the car for her. After Jenna came out of the house, I quickly threw the car in gear and we were off. Apparently, we would be meeting Elijah at old Fell property. I had absolutely no idea where that was and was hoping Jenna would guide me. Fortunately, she did and we reached the spot without any issue. I parked my car near Elijah's and we climbed out. Jenna and I greeted Elijah courteously and he did the same. After the pleasantries were out of the way, Elijah gestured with his hand and said, "Well, shall we?" And thus began the tour.

I had to admit that the tour was rather interesting for me and I was so caught up that I did not even notice that we were back to where we had parked our cars. I spied a figure coming towards us and discovered that it was Alaric. I was amused at that because I knew that he was jealous that Jenna was spending so much time alone with Elijah. It seemed that he did not even consider that I would be there as well. Apparently, Elijah thought the same, since there was a small smirk playing on his lips. Alaric caught up to us and said, panting, "I heard you were on a history tour and I am a history teacher, so I thought I might join you guys."

Jenna was visibly unhappy at this and introduced Alaric as her friend. _Ouch._ That had to have hurt. They moved a little to the side to have a hushed argument, while Elijah and I gave them some semblance of privacy. "Men are very territorial, aren't they?" I said, conversationally. Elijah hummed and said, "Indeed, they are," while looking at me with an unreadable look in his eyes. I couldn't break my gaze away from his, even if I wanted to. My heart began to increase its tempo to a rapid one. I almost leaned in when a particularly loud exclamation from the couple near us broke our intense movement and we moved slightly apart. I saw Alaric leaving in a huff and wondered what had happened between him and my aunt. I glanced at my aunt in curiosity and saw that she had a mixture of anger and resignation on her face. I smiled at her sympathetically, but she just shrugged and pasted a bright smile on her face.

After the tour was completed, Elijah suggested, "Let me buy you two lunch. It is the least I can do after you were such a help to me today. Please," he added, after seeing that Jenna was looking rather conflicted. She agreed after that. The man was so charming that I wondered why my panties hadn't fallen off yet.

* * *

The Grill was crowded when we entered. As we looked around for a table, I spotted Damon, Alaric and Andy sitting in one booth. And so did Jenna, her lips tightening when she spotted them. I knew this was when Damon was going to suggest his asinine idea of a dinner party, where he wanted to dagger Elijah. I had no intention of letting this pass, so I decided to warn Elijah later when it was just is three. Yes, I was including Jenna as well because she, like me, liked Elijah and knew everything that was to know about this situation.

Damon called us over and we grudgingly went over to the party of three. Alaric was looking quite uncomfortable, apparently, the fight with Jenna was at the forefront of his mind. Elijah had a hand on the small of my back the whole time, which made me hyper aware of his presence. I knew he did not have any romantic notions towards me and only employed these tactics as a way into my confidences, but that did not stop me from reacting to those small gestures. I knew he only saw me as a potential ally, I had gotten this feeling from my _seiðr_ which told me of this fact. Well, two can play the game, then.

We reached the table and I could almost taste the tension in the air. Jenna was glaring at Alaric, who in turn, was throwing resentful glances at Elijah, while I did my best to stifle the giggles trying to come out of me. I didn't think I was very successful, since both Damon and Elijah were throwing me amused looks. I made a face at them for this.

"So, how was the meeting of historical minds today? Alaric did not tell me much," said Damon, earning him a baleful look from Alaric.

"It was very interesting and intriguing, wasn't it, Aunt Jenna?" I said, looking askance at Aunt Jenna. She replied in the affirmative, looking a bit distracted. Suddenly Andy, Damon's compelled girlfriend, exclaimed loudly that we needed to have a dinner party to get to know each other. I mentally facepalmed when I heard Damon agree with her and offered to host it. I snorted silently and caught Elijah giving me a look. I mouthed "later" to him and he nodded. After everyone agreed to come to dinner, Elijah, Jenna and I found a table nearby and ordered lunch.

"Elijah, I have to inform you that the Scooby gang is planning to kill you. I mean not kill, kill, but subdue, kill, if you know what I mean. They have gotten hold of one of the silver daggers meant to put originals to sleep. It was told to them by Katherine. You should avoid going to the dinner party if you can. That's when they plan on killing you. Oh, and please don't mention that it was me who warned you." I informed him, pleased to see that aunt Jenna seemed to agree with my words. I had told her all about the Originals and about their history, including the daggers. She was supportive of my plan to keep Elijah on our good side, as he was the only other option for keeping Elena alive, other than befriending Klaus.

Elijah seemed to be unaffected by the information, yet the tightness around his eyes belied him. He seemed to contemplate something before saying, "Thank you for informing me. I will ask my warlock to put a boundary spell on the cave which holds Katherine, as a preventive measure to make sure that she stays inside, no matter what happens. However, I don't believe a young vampire and an amateur hunter will be able to take an Original down. I do thank you for warning me, though."

I guess after living a thousand years, one does acquire arrogance, but I had foreseen that it would be his downfall at the dinner party. But I let it go. The dude was a thousand year old vampire, I guess he could make his own decisions. I, on the other hand, was not planning on going to the damn party.

Though I did tell Elijah to come to visit me once they had succeeded in daggering him.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for all those reviews. I am currently leaning towards making it a ménage story, but I need more reviews. Please write what you think of the story in the comments.** _ **Þakka fyrir. Vér sjáumst!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 11**_

* * *

Later that night, I had a visitor in the form of a disheveled Elijah. I couldn't help the smug smirk which spread across my lips. When he saw that, he grimaced minutely. He knew that I had been right and that he should have heeded my warning. After silently gloating for a minute, I said, snickering, "Please, sit, Elijah. Looks like you need the rest. You look absolutely pooped."

Elijah sat on the armchair, still grimacing. It looked like he did not have to admit he had been wrong very often. Or at all. After some minutes of silence, he said, "You were right. The Salvatores have gotten hold of a silver dagger and white oak ash. However, Katerina is still safely entombed under the old Fell's Church. While that is all well and good, the deal I made with your sister is now off. Now, please tell me your sister's location before something unfortunate happens to you or your aunt."

I gaped at him. Was he really threatening me by using my aunt? I crossed my arms, seriously pissed off. I glared at him and snapped, "No need to get nasty about it. Really, where are your manners? You should never threaten a lady like that. How about I offer you an alternative to kidnapping my sister?"

"I'm listening," he said, tapping his foot.

"As you probably know, I am a hunter, a rather excellent one at that. I offer you my services as one, since there are some things that a vampire cannot do. Like entering a house uninvited. A year of my services in exchange for my sister's freedom till the ritual," I offered him, all the while wondering silently if I was making a huge mistake. I had come to care for my siblings, a probable remnant from the original Artemisia.

"While your offer is quite intriguing, it does not hold much importance in the grand scheme of things. Is there anything else or are you going to give up your sister? Be aware that I am only here as a courtesy," he replied, nonchalantly.

I bit my lip, carefully considering my options. I could give up my sister's location and be free, or I could reveal my abilities. Revealing my powers could put me in a dangerous situation, if it came to light that I was a Priestess of Freyja. Then I remembered that not all the Priestesses were seers. Their _seiðr_ had manifested into different forms. Mind decided, I said, "There is one more thing about me, which no one knows about. And I mean _no one._ I am a seer. I have visions of the future, as well as the past. I also have foreknowledge of the events happening around me and whether they are harmful to me or not."

Elijah considered me carefully, looking at me with something akin to disbelief. That was the most emotive I had seen him so far. He queried, "How is that possible? As far as I know, there is no seer or witch blood in the Gilbert family. How come you are one?"

"I recently found out that I was adopted. Someone left me on the doorstep of the Gilberts when I was a baby. Don't know why it never occurred to me, my eyes are freaky and quite different from the usual brown of the Gilberts," I said, a bit upset at that thought.

Elijah opened and then closed his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind about it. He composed himself and said, "This is very interesting. I thank you for informing me of this. I am honored to be the first one to know about this. Fine, we have a deal. You have earned your sister's freedom. In exchange, I must be informed of any and all information regarding me and my family. I assume that since you know my whole name, you know about my family?" I nodded and he continued, "And please, don't tell anyone about the truth about the ritual and my family. If you must, inform them that you exchanged your freedom for your sister's. Understood?"

"Completely. You don't need to tell me that. I do know a few things about keeping secrets. I have been doing that for a long time," I said, with a touch of anger. I didn't know where that had come from. I guess it's a bleed through from the original Artemisia. That had been happening a lot lately, and I was quite confused.

Elijah smiled sympathetically and inclined his head. It appeared that he had become rather agreeable after I told him a part of my abilities, not that he knew I was hiding something.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to snap at you, even if you deserved it. I have been going through some difficult times and it has made me a bit short-tempered. I agree to your terms will follow your stipulations. I will even acquire the silver dagger for you. It does not belong in anyone's hands except your family's. Consider it a peace offering," I said, generously. I meant what I said. The events which had been happening in town and our house had left me exhausted and irritated. On top of it, my hormones were going crazy. That had left me frustrated, irritated and a hundred more emotions.

"It is of no consequence. I understand it can be difficult sometimes. Even Originals have their bad days," he said, smirking. I couldn't believe my ears. Noble Elijah, making a joke? I let out a disbelieving chuckle. He got up to leave and kissed my hand goodbye. I found myself unwillingly blushing. He was still smirking, the smug bastard. I, who had never blushed in my entire life, was being reduced to a blushing and stuttering mess due to Elijah's charm and smooth words.

As he was leaving, he turned to me and said, "And Artemisia, your eyes are not 'freaky', as you call them. I happen to find them enchanting"

With those words, he was gone in the wind, leaving me blushing furiously again.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I don't own Vampire Diaries or its characters. Wish I did, though. I simply own my OC, Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 12**_

* * *

True to his word, Elijah did not go after Elena. She had a nice weekend away and came back happy, if not a little troubled. I suspect she was unhappy that Elijah had not been daggered. Keeping my promise, I broke into the Salvatore Boarding House, when I knew Damon was busy in town. My gift had informed me of this little titbit and I capitalized on it. After searching for a while, I found the dagger and the bottle of white oak ash in a drawer in the library. Quite foolish of them to leave it lying around. I took it and went back to my house. I texted Elijah on his phone number, which he had programmed into my phone without me noticing it.

 _Got the dagger and ash. Come and get them. Am at my house.  
_ _BTW, very smooth, programming your no. in my phone. ;)  
_ _XOXO._

I put my phone down and looked up. Elijah was already in my room, his phone in his hand. He was once again wearing an expensive black suit, with a blood red shirt this time. All in all, he was looking very sexy and drool-worthy.

I was a bit disturbed at my thoughts, never having been this attracted to a man before. Sure, I had my list of boyfriends, but I had not been this attracted towards them. After thinking a bit, I guessed that it was a vampire attribute. All he vampires I had met were a bit more beautiful than any given human _. Hmm, I wonder if any of their other parts are enhanced as well_ , I thought, distractedly, but then shook my head. _Bad thoughts, Artemisia, very bad thoughts_.

I looked at Elijah, then, and blushed slightly, realizing that he had been looking at me as I had been having those lust-filled thoughts. His whiskey-coloured eyes were filled with mirth as a smirk played at his lips, like he knew what I had been thinking about. I centred myself and got up to retrieve the dagger from my bedside table. I silently handed him the dagger, a blush still staining my cheeks. I was irritated at myself. Honestly, I was acting like a fifteen-year-old with her first crush!

Elijah smiled and thanked me, thankfully not mentioning my odd behaviour. I mock saluted him and he chuckled and left as quickly as he had come. I shrugged and went downstairs to inform my aunt about what had happened.

* * *

Later that week, I went to the boarding house again. I wanted to tell Damon about the consequences of his ill-thought actions. I found him in the living room, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He saw me, drained his glass in a single gulp and said, "Hello Buffy. What brings you to the den of the vampires?"

"Hmm, let me see. The fact that you daggered an Original, who is now angry and vengeful? Or the fact that due to said daggering, I had to exchange my freedom for my sister's life? You choose Damon," I snapped at him, only now registering the frustration and anger I had.

"Hold on a second. What do you mean, you had to exchange your freedom for Elena's life?" asked Damon.

"Exactly that, Damon. Elijah came to see me after you lot had succeeded in daggering him. He was quite furious, and threatened me and my aunt in order to find out Elena's location. I convinced him that having me and my abilities in his corner may give him an advantage in some situations. I do have a fearsome reputation in some supernatural circles. He agreed to let Elena live here till the ritual, instead of taking her away, in exchange for a year as his minion," I told him, only half lying.

Damon sat there, his mouth agape. He said, anger evident in his tone, "what the fuck do you mean? His minion? Over my dead body, Artemisia, will he make you his _slave_. And what do you mean that you have a fearsome reputation?"

I grimaced at the last question, not wanting to give out the information. I had read in one of Sia's later entries in her journal and it had detailed how much she was feared by the lower dregs of the supernatural community. They called her, and me by extension, "Valkyrie". It was quite ironic since I was a Priestess of Freyja. I replied to Damon, "It is just as I said, Damon. You may have heard of the Valkyrie. It is the name I am known as in the supernatural community. I am feared by the scum of the supernaturals. And I am respected by royalty among the supernatural people."

I could tell that Damon was visibly surprised by that information, and I could see recognition flash in his eyes on hearing my codename. He nodded and said, "I know of the Valkyrie, but didn't know that she is an eighteen year old _Gilbert_."

I laughed and smacked him on the head for that remark. He gave a half-smile and raised his refilled glass in a mock salute. We moved onto safer topics and spent the next few hours laughing and generally enjoying ourselves.

I was just pulling on my jacket and getting ready to leave, when I heard a small noise. We both were immediately on alert and I told him via gestures to remain in place. But the idiot did not listen and went to investigate it. I listened closely for any sounds of conflict but none came. I was thankful that I had strapped on my _katanas_ that day. I slid them out of their sheaths with a quiet _schink_ , but before I could even take a step, everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review! Criticisms are also welcome.**

 **I will be making this a ménage story between Klaus, Elijah and Artemisia. Hope my reviewers are happy! Keep on reviewing!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 13**_

* * *

 _I opened my eyes and looked around. I felt as if I was floating, like a balloon untethered. The last thing I remembered was that I had been at the Boarding House. I then remembered that I had been attacked. I gazed around and took in the details of the room I was in. I was alone in the room, with only a few cats for company. I looked at the cats with a wariness which only came from years of being in contact with the supernatural. The room was predominantly decorated with wood and gold. I had been mistaken earlier. It was not a room, rather it was a long hall and I was standing in front of an ornate throne, decorated with delicate gems and filigree. The wall behind the throne was decorated with hundreds of different types of weapons, all made of gold. I was practically salivating at the image of so many gorgeous weapons. The whole hall had a Viking feel to it and I felt as if I had seen that exact hall somewhere, maybe in my dreams._

 _A door opened to my right and I spun in that direction. An impossibly beautiful blonde woman had entered the hall and was walking towards me. She had hair like spun gold, with red highlights shining through, and the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. They were a mixture of all the colors in the entire universe and I noticed that they were iridescent like my violet and gold eyes. She was dressed in warriors garb, though it was also made of gold. Really, all that gold was making my brain hurt._

 _The woman came over to where I had been standing with my jaw dropped, her bearing regal and her posture screaming "_ I am a goddess _". She sat on the throne and the cats immediately jumped onto her lap and started purring. Something in me was telling me that she was to be feared and respected, and I knelt at her feet._

" _Rise, child, and let me see the warrior you have become." She intoned, a small smile visible on her face. Her eyes were shining with pride. I got up and met her eyes. "Have you guessed who I am? I am Freyja, the Goddess of Love and War. I have been wanting to meet you for quite some time. I welcome you to my kingdom, Folkvángr. This is my residence, Sessrumnir."_

 _I was taken aback at the fact that I was in a place only known in myths, and was standing in front of a goddess. I swallowed and gathered up my courage to say, "Forgive me, my Lady, by how am I in Folkvángr? I thought that mortals were not able to come here?"_

" _You are here only in mind, my dear. Your body is still on the mortal plane. Us gods retreated from the mortal plane over a thousand years ago. We don't visit Midgard any more. Now, we must hurry, our time here is growing short. Your body will wake up in a few minutes. There are some things that I need to tell you before you leave. The first thing is that you don't need to worry over being in Elijah Mikaelson's service. He is an honorable man and will follow the terms of your deal. Another issue that needs addressing is that you need to become a vampire before you reach twenty. It is merely a precaution, seeing as all the previous priestesses of mine died before twenty. Your powers will also be enhanced, rather than lost, when you become one of the vampires. But be warned, the current form of your seiðr will change once you achieve immortality. I foresee that you will be very powerful, my priestess. Just use your power for just means. That is all I ask."_

 _I was relieved and I smiled at her. She gave back a warm smile and rose from the throne. I knew that my audience in her presence was coming to an end. I bowed and said, "I shall endeavour to do as you said, my Lady. I am honoured to be in your presence."_

 _She kissed my brow and said, "Live well and enjoy life, dear Artemisia. But be warned, your body is in unfriendly hands and you will be in grave peril once you wake up. Use your strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses. Farewell!"_

* * *

I awoke with a gasp and looked around. I was in a small room with no windows. I was seated in a chair in the middle of the room and discovered that my hands and feet were bound with rope. I struggled for a while and discovered that the ropes were secured very sloppily. I remembered Lady Freyja's warning and slipped my hands loose, but kept the ropes around my wrists and ankles to give the illusion of them still being bound. I had found a stick for a makeshift stake, as I was fairly certain that I had been kidnapped by vampires.

I heard a sound and immediately began to act as if I had just come round. Two people entered the room, one male and the other female. They smirked at me and the male said, "Look what we have caught. A fresh Valkyrie herself. Not so tough now, are you?"

I detected a slight Creole accent and was immediately on alert. I had done a job in New Orleans and had pissed off a lot of vampires. I had almost gotten killed at the hands of the witches there, as well. So you can see why I was a bit tense. The two in front of me also seemed familiar with my identity as well. Meaning that either they had done their research, or they had seen me while I had been working. Either option seemed possible. I waited for them to say something, and inadvertently reveal more information. I was not disappointed. The female mused, "Now what shall we do with you? Just drain you of your blood or slowly torture you and then drain your blood? I do so like to play with my food. But, no matter what, I _will_ kill you. Just like you killed my friends in New Orleans." Bingo! _Vampires._ And French Quarter vampires at that. I was screwed unless I found a way out of here. I know that there would be repercussions of the mess I had inadvertently caused in the Big Easy.

I was silent and said nothing, my face blank and eyes emotionless. I was imagining and discarding various scenarios and combat techniques. I finally got an opening when the female went out, saying that she needed to get the tools for the torture. I smirked internally at that. I knew ways to torture someone without even touching them. Let alone using tools. I looked at the man and saw that he was looking at something on his phone and was not paying any attention to me. I gripped the stake in one hand and got ready to pounce. I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet and jumped onto the man. He didn't even have time to yell as I staked him in his chest. His body became grey as he died. I removed the stake from his chest and silently moved out of the room. I discovered that it was a ramshackle shack in the middle of nowhere, when I heard a sound come from ahead of me.

I peeked into a room and saw that the female was rummaging in a freezer full of blood bags. I picked up a pebble and threw it towards the front door. She immediately sped to the door while I silently crept forward. But she must have heard something because she spun and snarled at me, her vampire face visible. She grabbed my throat and slammed me against the wall, still snarling. I clawed at my throat with my free hand, all the while hoping she would not notice the stake in my hand. I somehow maneuvered the stake between our bodies and gave an almighty push. It worked, somewhat. She stumbled away from me a bit and I swept her legs out from her. I then drove the stake through her heart and watched as her body grayed and black veins crawled across her. I sat down with a whoosh of breath and calmed my racing heart. After sitting for a while, I searched the house and found nothing. I looked around at the surroundings, but as far as I could see, there was no civilization. I did find a car, though. Thankfully, the male had the car keys in his pockets. As I turned and made my way to the front door, I saw that the entrance was blocked by none other than Elijah, concern for me evident on his face.

I smirked half heartedly and said, "A little late to the party, aren't we, Mr. Mikaelson?"

* * *

 **A/N: Please write what you think of the story in the comments.**

 **Next up is Elijah's POV. Enjoy! ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 14**_

* * *

In a small hotel on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, Elijah Mikaelson was lost in thought. As he swirled the wine in the wineglass in his hand, he mused upon the events which had happened after he had come into town. He was quite amazed at the sheer number of dangerous incidents the doppelganger and her friends had found themselves in. At first he had admired the doppelganger for her sacrificing nature, but had quickly changed his mind after hearing about her actions from the doppelganger's sister, Artemisia.

 _Artemisia Gilbert._ An enigma if he ever saw one. With her wild black curls and her magnificent violet-gold eyes, she looked like a celestial being. But it was not her looks which had captured his attention. It was her love for her family, even though they had gravely wronged her, and her strength of character. A weaker person would have run screaming or would have broken down crying, in the face of so many adversities. But not her. She had delved into hunting and martial arts and had made herself into the feared _Valkyrie_ , the one human of whom every supernatural crook was frightened of.

Elijah sighed, not liking the direction his thoughts were going into. He was here to exact revenge for his family, not form an attachment to a human. It was quite dangerous. He drained his glass and got up, putting the glass down on the adjacent table. He started pacing, his thoughts on how to lure his brother down there. He made and discarded numerous plans in his mind, and finally, decided that it was better if he just waited. Klaus was bound to come to Mystic Falls sooner or later.

At that point, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He took the call, the number unknown.

"Hello?"

"Is this Elijah?"

"Yes. Who am I speaking to?"

"It's me, Jenna. Jenna Sommers. I need your help. My niece, Artemisia, is missing. She was kidnapped from the Salvatore Boarding house. Please, help me. I don't know anyone else who would help me find her."

Elijah stood still, shock being the predominant emotion. He quickly gathered himself and said, "Of course I'll help you. I'll be at your house in a few minutes. Please make sure you have a hairbrush of Artemisia's ready. My warlock will need the hair for the locator spell."

"Oh thank you so much. I'll do as you say. Thank you. See you in a few minutes," said Jenna and she ended the call.

Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. To be honest, he was quite worried about the eldest Gilbert. It was not that easy to capture the _Valkyrie_ , as she had proven numerous times in the past.

He called Jonas and told him of the predicament. He was willing to a locator spell once he had the hairbrush. Elijah ended the call and sped to the Gilbert house. On arriving, he was given the hairbrush by Artemisia's aunt. He also learnt that the kidnappers had gravely injured the elder Salvatore as well, which was why he had not tried to contact Elijah as well. It was evident that the man cared for Artemisia a lot.

Elijah delivered the hairbrush to Jonas and waited nearby. He watched as Jonas completed the locator spell and found Artemisia's location. Taking a quick look at the directions, Elijah took off in his fastest car. Speeding along the roads, he thought about the reasons why he was doing so much just to rescue a human girl. _No, not a girl_ , he corrected himself. _A woman._

He arrived at the location. It was a rundown shack and he found his lip curling in disgust. He could hear the sounds of a fight from inside the house and he hurried to the front door, only to find that the sounds of fighting had ceased. Artemisia came into view, a stake in her hand. Her hair was disheveled and there was a large cut on her temple. As she saw him, she gave a half-hearted smirk and said, "A little late to the party, aren't we, Mr. Mikaelson?" and then she promptly collapsed.

Elijah caught her just before her head could hit the ground and lifted her up in his arms. He carried her back to his car and put her in the front passenger's seat. He could tell that she was already coming round, guessing that it had just been the loss of adrenaline that had made her black out.

She stirred and sat up, stretching her limbs, and said, "Huh. Guess I passed out. Thanks for giving me a ride Elijah. It would have been a tiresome thing to find my way back to civilization otherwise."

"You're welcome, Miss Gilbert. Your kidnapping made your aunt quite worried and she called me for help. My warlock was able to locate you using some DNA from a hairbrush."

"Thanks again for helping to find me. You didn't have to do that," Artemisia said.

Elijah glanced over at her and saw that blood had matted the back of her head. He grew concerned that she might need medical attention and said, "Your head looks bad. You probably need medical attention and a doctor. We need to go to the nearest hospital, unless you are comfortable drinking some of my blood?"

Artemisia shrugged her shoulders and replied, "If it is not much of a bother, I'd rather drink some of your blood. Less awkward questions that way from doctors. And I don't want to worry my aunt unnecessarily. She has never seen me with any injuries before, and I'd like to keep it that way, lest she freaks out."

Elijah nodded his assent and steered the car onto the shoulder of the road. He shut off the engine and started rolling up his sleeves. After rolling them up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms, he lifted Artemisia up from the seat and situated her on his lap. She had been looking quite beautiful and he had not been able to help himself. He heard her breathing speed up and internally smirked at the effect he was having on her. He could smell her arousal and it took all his resolve to not groan out loud. He bit into his wrist and offered her the blood. He could feel her soft lips sucking on the wound and he shifted a bit to adjust himself. Her hair had a seductive fragrance of chocolate and jasmines. The whole action was so intimate that their bodies were molded to each other's and their breathing had sped up.

After taking a few mouthfuls, Artemisia let go of his wrist and slid off his lap. He found himself missing the feel of her lips on his skin. He gave a sidelong glance in her direction and found that she had a delectable blush on her cheeks. He liked the fact that he had been the one to make the normally unflappable young woman so flustered. But she had a small smile on her face which mirrored the one he had on his face. It stayed there the entire duration of the journey to her home.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review! I would love read what people think if my story. It gives me encouragement to write more.**

 **Up next: Klaus enters the scene!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 **Back in Artemisia's POV**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 15**_

* * *

It was evening when we reached my house. Elijah escorted me to the door and said goodbye, kissing my hand as he did so. _Smooth bastard_. I thanked him for his help and went inside, but not before giving him a peck on the cheek. I didn't give myself time to over think it, though. I closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling a long breath. I hoped my cheeks weren't as red as they felt, as that would mean the third degree from my aunt. She had a habit of getting way excited about the romance in my life.

As I stepped into the kitchen, a hurricane named Jenna slammed into me, babbling, "Oh my God, Artemisia! Oh, thank God you're safe! Oh my dear, I was so worried! Thank god!"

I hugged her tightly, the events of the day overwhelming me and I cried along with her. The danger I had been in had not sunk in until then, and I was terrified. That had been my first life-threatening experience since coming into the Vampire Diaries universe and I was going into shock. Jenna recognized the signs of shock and promptly bundled me into bed and made me a hot chocolate. She told me to rest and went downstairs, no doubt to phone Damon. I had told him about Aunt Jenna knowing about vampires and stuff, and he had agreed to keep it a secret.

I slept the rest of the evening, having been too tired to do anything else. I was plagued with nightmares about fangs and blood, and had woken up in a cold sweat. Other than that, nothing disturbed my beloved sleep and I woke up feeling refreshed.

* * *

The next few days were spent in reassuring everyone that I was fine and uninjured. Apparently, Damon had told the rest of the Scooby gang about my deal and subsequent kidnapping. They all had been quite impressed at the way I had dealt with the two vampires. Even Jeremy had been awed at the fact that his elder sister was a badass, but his awe had been tinged with protectiveness over me. It was quite cute to see him overprotective when he was just sixteen years old. However, Elena thought that I was a drama queen and that it probably had been Elijah who had saved me. I didn't bother to deign her with a response.

After the kidnapping, I started to train with a vengeance. Every day, at dawn, I would go for a long run, followed by my usual exercises. Sometimes my uncle joined in and trained with me. Even my aunt started training with us.

A lot of things had happened the day after I had been taken. Jonas and his son, Luka, had terminated their service with Elijah. Jonas had given back Bonnie's powers, which I had not even known were taken. The idea of using the power of a hundred dead witches was shared with the Scooby gang by Elijah. Apparently, Elijah and the others had formed an alliance and wanted to work together. Somehow, Elena had convinced the others that it was better if she was sacrificed. Almost everyone was against this, but as always, Elena got her wish.

* * *

Later that week, in the evening, the bell rang. I thought nothing of it and opened the door, Jenna just behind me. Outside was a stunning black-haired woman, with beautiful grey eyes. I recognized her from the show and knew she was Elena's biological mother, Isobel Flemming. However, as I had never met her, I was wary and said, "How may I help you?"

The woman smiled and said, "Hello. You must be Artemisia and Jenna. My name is Isobel. I am Elena's mother."

I knew of this scene from the show and acted suitably shocked. Of course, Jenna knew that Isobel was alive, but the others didn't know that she knew. Therefore, she acted shocked as well, and asked Elena, "Elena, what is she talking about? You knew? And you didn't tell us?"

Elena was lost for words as she glared at Isobel, while Jenna rushed upstairs. I followed her, knowing that all the hurt she had first felt at hearing the truth was coming back. I comforted her and helped her deal with the pain. She decided that she was going to stay on the campus of her college. I supported her decision, since I knew she needed some space from all the supernatural drama going on in the town. I only wished I could go along with her.

Jenna left and I went downstairs to meet the woman my uncle had been in love with. Isobel was seated at the dining table with the others arranged in a semicircle around her. Elena was the one most upset, and for a while there, I felt sympathetic towards her, since I knew her mother was a piece of work ever since she had turned off her humanity.

The next day, Elena was kidnapped by Isobel. I had not gone to the party at the Lockwood's' and hence, had to hear it from Damon. I knew this heralded the arrival of Klaus in Mystic Falls in the show, and knew from my _seiðr_ that it was true in real world too. I had gotten a vision of Klaus possessing Alaric and greeting Katherine in her native tongue, Bulgarian.

I entered my bedroom and was greeted by the sight of Elijah sitting on an armchair. He had cut his hair and looked stunningly handsome, like a chiseled statue. The haircut was styled in short spikes and made him look years younger. I let my eyes roam his form and unconsciously licked my lips. As I registered the action, I blushed red and averted my eyes. Elijah chuckled at that and uncrossed his legs. I sat down on the edge of my bed, cleared my throat and said, "I'm glad you came to visit me. I assume you know that Klaus is in town?"

"Yes, I am aware of that. I am afraid he might move against me, maybe not right away, but eventually. We did not part on pleasant terms. He might take my presence here as a betrayal, not that he won't be wrong. My attachment to you might pose a problem for you. Klaus might use you to get to me."

"I know that Elijah. But it might be better if you try not to kill your brother. You know, better for all of us. Except Elena, I guess. That reminds me, I had a vision of him possessing Alaric."

"Ah, possession. One of my brother's favorite tricks. Did you have any more visions of my family?" Elijah asked.

I realized that the poor guy was desperate to know his family's location. Guess he did not believe the lie Klaus told about throwing the coffins into the sea. I decided to throw him a bone and said, "Actually, I had an information upload as opposed to a vision. It seems that your brother carts your family around in expensive coffins to keep them safe from Mikael. He is planning on waking them up after Mikael's death. While in actuality, Mikael is desiccated in a cemetery in Charlotte."

I quite enjoyed the baffled expression on Elijah's face after I dropped the bombshell on him.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 16**_

* * *

I sat in front of my vanity, getting ready for the decade dance. I had been roped in by Damon as a chaperone, seeing as I had finished high school. The others wanted me there as extra protection from Klaus. I did not mind, seeing as Jeremy was going to be there. Over the course of the last week, I had become closer to the little brat and even though he was not my real sibling, I could feel familial love for him welling up inside me. We had talked it out and there had been many tears and recriminations.

* * *

 _Flashback-_

* * *

 _I was writing in a journal about the visions I had had. Just then, a knock sounded on my door and Jeremy poked his head in._

" _Can I talk to you for a bit, Sia?"_

 _I was startled by the use of the nickname, and told him to come inside and sit. He entered and shut the door behind him, looking uncharacteristically nervous. He fidgeted a bit in the chair and, taking a deep breath, started talking._

" _Sia, do you really hate me so much? Where did I go wrong? Please, tell me. I just want us to go back to how we were before. I'm sorry for what I did. Can you forgive me?" he said, with tear-filled eyes._

 _I hesitated, not sure how to reply. On one hand, I wanted to tell him to get the hell out of my room. But on the other hand, he was just a sixteen year old boy. I felt quite protective of him. In my old life, I had a little brother just like Jeremy. Therefore, I was predisposed to treat him with positive bias._

" _Jeremy, you have to understand where I am coming from. You guys lied to me, had me compelled multiple times and on top of that, did not even consider asking me if I was okay. Tell me Jeremy, why on earth did you go along with the asinine plan of Elena's to keep me in the dark? And don't even dare to say that it was for my protection. It is my job to protect you two, not the other way around. I am the one who's older."_

 _At that, Jeremy remained silent for a minute, thinking over my words. He replied, "Sia, I get it. I really do. I was just as angry at Elena when she had me compelled. Believe me, I really wanted to come and tell you, the first time we both were compelled. But Stefan and Elena had threatened me to keep my mouth shut. I had no option but to keep quiet. All the other times, I was informed about you being compelled only after the deed was done. They did not want you knowing about this world. Why, I don't know. I would have told you. Please, believe me."_

 _I was left reeling at the onslaught of information. I had no idea that Jeremy had been threatened and that too by Elena and Stefan. It made my blood boil. It was a surprise that Elena would go to such lengths to keep me uninformed. At that moment I felt a surge of sympathy for Jeremy. My senses were telling me that whatever he had just said was the truth. He had wanted to tell me but had been threatened. I wondered if Elena had really had her boyfriend threaten the life of her brother. I was simply furious at her. A small sigh reminded me that Jeremy was still waiting for me to respond to his speech._

 _I said nothing, just embraced him tightly. His arms tightened around my waist and he rested his face on my shoulder and cried. I simply held him._

* * *

 _End of flashback._

* * *

I was awakened from my thoughts by a knock on my door. I got up and opened it, revealing Damon, who looked very handsome in his outfit. He gave me an once-over and his eyes widened. He gave me a grin and said, "Why, Miss Gilbert, you clean up quite nicely. You look gorgeous." I thanked him and we went downstairs. The rest of the gang was already at the dance and we headed there.

* * *

I knew that Klaus would be there, possessing Alaric. I had no intention of going against him. I knew that Bonnie was juiced up on the power of a hundred witches, but I also knew that it wouldn't work. Katherine had already informed Klaus about that little fact.

Elijah had informed me that he no longer was aiming for his brother's death. I agreed with him, simply because I was in his service. I had informed him about the various visions I had had about his family, how Klaus wanted them all to be a family, how he just didn't want to be alone. I also had told him about the fact that Klaus had killed their mother and that reasons behind it. Like I had expected, Elijah did not appear to blame his brother, rather he said that he would have done the same thing in his place.

We had also discussed about an alliance with Klaus and Elijah had suggested that I be the one to talk with Klaus. He said that Klaus would be more receptive towards a neutral party. I agreed with him, partly because I had greatly admired the character of Klaus in the TV series and I wanted to meet him face-to-face. I was not too worried about losing my life, for I had taken to ingesting some vampire blood every day. Elijah had been the one to come up with that idea and had made a donation of blood.

These thoughts were on my mind as I entered the hall where the dance was being held, and made eye contact with Alaric, i.e. Klaus.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review! I need more reviews! Please check out my other stories!**

 **Ciao!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 17**_

* * *

The decade dance was utterly boring. Sure, the music was authentic, but it was not to my tastes. I was dressed in an uncomfortable violet dress and white boots and it was making me feel very warm inside the crowded gym. As a chaperone, I was stationed on the outskirts of the dance floor, near the punch bowl.

After the initial glimpse of Alaric/Klaus, I had not been able to spot him and that made me twitchy. Sure, I knew what was going to happen soon, thanks to my visions and my knowledge of the TV show, but that did not mean I was not concerned for Jeremy and Damon.

Klaus had made his move through the song request for Elena and the rest were on tenterhooks. They kept glancing around, like Klaus was going to pop out like a jack-in-the-box. I stifled a snicker at the thought of Klaus jumping out of a box to scare someone.

I was very much removed from the scene of the drama and I was, in one word, _bored_. At that point, I was even willing to go and find my sister, just to witness some drama. But I thought better of it and instead decided to leave early. I knew things would pan out just the way they did in the show and I wanted to speed things up a little bit. So I left the gym, heading towards the parking lot. As I reached my car, I looked back and caught a glimpse of Alaric talking to Elena and Bonnie. Weirdly enough he looked in my direction and our eyes locked. Just then, a vision came over me.

* * *

 _It was a clearing in the woods, with three circles of fire in it. I recognised it as the site of the hybrid ritual. I saw Jules, the female werewolf who had bitten Rose, in one of the circles. In another circle, my sister lay unconscious._

 _But it was the person in the third circle who caught my attention. As I saw her face, as it clearly was female, my breath caught. It was me. My violet-gold eyes were glaring at Klaus, whom I had not noticed until then. I was shocked and dismayed. I was the fucking third sacrifice!_

* * *

I came out of the trance and fought hard to keep my face expressionless. I turned back to my car and got in. I refused to look at Klaus; for fear that he might kidnap me then and there. I sat motionless for a while in my car, going over what I had _seen._ I could not comprehend that I would be sacrificed. Then I gave myself a mental shake. My visions only showed what could be, not what will be. Though a part of me was thankful that it would not be Jenna.

I took a deep breath and centered myself. I could not afford to panic. I had to keep a level head and think clearly. I kept repeating this mantra in my head and slowly became calm. I decided to consult Elijah. I fired off a quick text to him.

 _We need to talk. Urgently.  
Meet me at my house.  
A._

I started the car and threw it into gear. I reached home in less than ten minutes, probably breaking a few traffic rules on the way. I quickly got out of the car and into my house. As I expected, Elijah was sitting in my living room, examining everything with his keen gaze. He turned to me and his eyes widened minutely. I could see desire and admiration in the depths of his whiskey colored eyes. But it was immediately replaced by concern and something I couldn't decipher.

"Is everything alright, Artemisia? Your text got me quite worried. Did something happen?" he queried.

I paused, suddenly having misgivings over confiding in Elijah. After all, I was only a human to him. I didn't know if he would be bothered to help me, seeing as I had bartered for my sister's life anyway.

He must have seen some of my doubt in my eyes, and he flashed in front of me. He took my chin in his hand and said, gently, "You know you can tell me anything, right, Artemisia? I promise I would do my best to assist you in whatever you want. My protection extends to you too. And," here he paused, seemingly collecting his thoughts, and continued, "Please don't think that I don't care for you, because I find myself becoming quite fond of you, more and more each day. Please, don't hide your troubles from me," he implored.

At hearing his words, I broke down. His arms came up around me, and he let me cry on his shoulder. After a short bout of crying, I pulled back and said, quite embarrassed, "Sorry for breaking down like that. I think all of this has hit me just now. It's just that I had a rather unexpected vision and it shocked me to my core."

He refused to let go of me and asked, "What was the vision, my little seer?"

I explained the vision to him and he pulled me into another embrace. He said, "Don't worry, my dear. I refuse to let you die over an altar, even if I have to kill Niklaus myself. We will find a way out of this."

To say that I was shocked by his declaration would be an understatement. I had not been aware of the depth of Elijah's feelings for me. I badly wanted to kiss him, I realised, shocked. But I knew that it was not the right time to kiss him, as I wanted to. I wanted to wait till the whole mess was behind us.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review! Check out my new story.**

 **Ciao!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 18**_

* * *

 _ **Klaus POV.**_

* * *

Looking back, Klaus thought, possessing a history teacher had not been one of his smarter ideas. Sure, it had given him an opening to learn about the plotting going against his person, but it also had him chaperoning a god-awful dance, filled with _teenagers._ He shouldn't complain, though. The dance had given him the perfect opportunity to get rid of the witch. But still, _teenagers._ His lip curled in disgust at the thought.

The lively music of the sixties blared from the speakers, as the students danced to the tunes. Klaus spied the doppelganger and her friends enter the gym, and made sure that his façade of the history teacher, Alaric Saltzman, was complete. Just then, the elder Salvatore entered, an unfamiliar young woman on his arm. As he studied the young woman, his eyes caught hers, and his breath was knocked out. Her iridescent eyes glowed with hidden power, entrancing him. His fingers itched to paint her, to capture her exquisiteness on a canvas. He was blown away by her beauty.

He guessed that it had to be the eldest of the Gilbert siblings. His information on her, courtesy of Katerina, was minimal at best. Named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemisia Gilbert was an enigma. According to Katerina, the doppelganger had no qualms in letting her sister be compelled, time and again, to keep her out of the loop. However, the elder sister was cleverer than they had thought. Apparently, as a hunter, she had regularly drunk vervain and could remember everything. This had caused a rift between the doppelganger and her sister, which was quite beneficial for Klaus. The less people against him, the better, he thought. Now, time to implement the plan.

Klaus' plan worked like a charm. The Bennett witch was killed by her own magic, as she had used too much against him. He had been protected by the spell his warlock had cast on him. It really had gone off without a hitch. There had been a weird moment, though, in the parking lot. Artemisia gilbert had been leaving the gym, when their eyes had met. Suddenly, her eyes had glazed over, and a terrified look had come over her face. After a minute, her face had gone emotionless and her eyes had focused again. She then had sped away in her car. Klaus wondered what that had been about.

* * *

Later that week, the day before the full moon, he once again was a resident of his original body. His witches had performed the required ritual to transfer his consciousness from the history teacher's body to his own. He stood in front of the mirror in the teacher's apartment, which he had temporarily acquired as headquarters, and admired his form. He was quite handsome, if he did say so himself.

Later that evening, he went to the local watering hole, unimaginatively named The Mystic Grill. He had hoped to catch some of the doppelganger's friends and give them a warning not to meddle. Luck was on his side. He saw the elder Salvatore and the history teacher drinking at the bar and went to give them the warning.

Giving his warning to them, he turned to leave, almost certain that they were going to disregard it. He was not worried; he already had a back-up werewolf and a back-up vampire. Let them rescue the ones he had set as a decoy.

Just as he was leaving, a voice he had not heard in decades, called out, "Niklaus, a word, please?" he turned and nearly groaned at the confirmation of his thoughts. His stick-in-the-mud brother was sitting in a booth, Artemisia Gilbert sitting beside him. He felt a brief flash of jealousy, seeing the apparent ease they both were in each other's company. He quickly stopped the train of thought, not letting the turmoil in his mind show on his face. He was wary about meeting his estranged brother, for good reason. Last he had heard about Elijah, he had been plotting Klaus' death for the murder of their siblings. Which he had lied about. Okay, so Elijah had every reason to seek his death. Therefore, Klaus was apprehensive.

He sat down in front of them, looking as if he owned the world. He let a cocky smirk slide across his face and said, "Why, Elijah, fancy seeing you around here. I had thought that small towns were not your thing. Way to prove me wrong, brother."

Elijah's eyes were hard and unforgiving, growing even more so at the sight of Klaus' cocky face. He glanced at Artemisia and they seemed to have a silent conversation. She nodded back at him and Elijah turned to his brother and said, "Niklaus, we have a proposition to make. It relates to your curse and the making of Hybrids. Are you interested?"

Klaus remained silent for a while, studying them both. Elijah seemed to hold much resentment towards him, yet he could see love and longing warring for domination in his eyes. Klaus wouldn't admit it, but he longed for his big brother's appreciation and acceptance.

Klaus' eyes slid towards the enigma named Artemisia. She sat back in her chair, relaxed and looking as if she didn't have a care in the world. But he could see the wariness and calculation in her eyes. They were the eyes of a warrior. He could see the tenseness in her neck and shoulders. He respected her apparent wariness.

Slowly, he answered, "I am intrigued. Go on."

Artemisia replied, her voice melodious, "Firstly, you need to know something. I am a very proficient hunter. You may have heard of me. I am known as the _Valkyrie_. I am also a seer. A powerful one at that. I know all about your family and their actions. I also know what you need for the ritual to actually break the curse. You with me so far?"

"Yes, yes, go on," Klaus said, impatiently. His mind was whirling with all the information revealed. The _Valkyrie_. Seer. Artemisia Gilbert was a lot more formidable than she seemed.

"Very well. You see, your curse is a very special one. In order to break the curse, you have to sacrifice a vampire, a werewolf and a doppelganger. However, to create more hybrids like yourself, you need the doppelganger's blood for the transition to be complete. Therefore, we propose a deal. In exchange for our help and the cooperation of the Scooby gang, you will let my sister come back from the dead. I will personally make sure she donates a pint of blood every month for your use. And you will also free your sibling from their sleep. If you do that, I will inform you about Mikael's location. How does that sound?" Artemisia proposed the deal.

Klaus sat back, his mind processing the words spoken. He had to concede that the deal sounded reasonable. He had wanted to eventually free his siblings as well. He only wanted to wait until Mikael had been vanquished. He supposed that there was no harm in doing it then.

"Deal," Klaus said.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review!**

 **Sayonara!**


	19. Interlude

**A/N:** **My sincerest apologies, dear readers.**

 **I am afraid that this is not a new chapter.** **I seem to have hit a bit of a writer's block and that story has come to a standstill. I don't know whether to keep Artemisia mortal or not.**

 **I am also dealing with a lot of other things. I have been battling depression for the last few months and my stories have been an escape from reality. So thank you, my dear readers, for giving me positive reinforcement.**

 **See you soon!**

 **Auf wiedersehen!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Thank god I got rid of the pesky writer's block. Thanks to my reviewers for all of your support. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 19**_

* * *

 _ **Back in Artemisia's POV.**_

* * *

After the deal with the devil, a.k.a. Klaus, was made, Elijah and I went to the Salvatore Boarding House to meet with my sister and her sycophants. We had been careful and had not let anyone from the gang see the camaraderie between us. I knew that would have only caused us problems.

We entered the house and found everyone waiting for us. Even Uncle John was there, along with Aunt Jenna. Apparently, Elena had finally "told" Jenna about the Supernatural world, and Jenna had given an Oscar-worthy performance. I had been told that there had even been some shoes thrown at Stefan's head. I had laughed myself silly when I had heard about it from Damon. Even he had had tears of laughter in his eyes when he had recounted the tale. Apparently, Jenna was keeping the fact that she had known about the supernaturals beforehand, a secret. I was eager to go along with her, if only to cause chaos.

Someone had apparently seen the two of us, i.e. Elijah and I, talking to Klaus at the Grill. As a result, we were bombarded with questions about the conversations. But the loudest was the accusation coming from Elena.

"I bet that you were just dying to give your sister over to the enemy, weren't you, _dear Artemisia_?"

Her accusation made to room fall silent, with most of the occupants glaring at Elena. I saw, rather I felt, tension filling Elijah's body. I rested my hand on his elbow, and shook my head when he glanced at me. He nodded and took a step back, letting me free to handle my sister. I took a deep breath and said, glaring at Elena, "for your kindest information, we just made a deal with Klaus to save your life. He agreed to let you live, if you survived the ritual, under one condition; you must make a monthly donation of a pint of blood to him. Otherwise your life is forfeit. His words, not mine. And you're welcome."

With that I left the house with Elijah behind me, leaving the others dumbfounded, especially my sister. I made a beeline towards my house and went to my room, Elijah on my heels. I could sense that he had something on his mind that he wanted to talk to me about, and I also had a pretty good idea on what it was.

I plopped onto my bed and stared at Elijah expectantly. He sighed and said, "Why did you not tell the others about the rest of the deal made with Klaus?" His eyes were hard and unforgiving as he gazed at me, and I couldn't meet them. I looked at my bedspread and picked at the threads, and answered, "It doesn't matter. It will only serve to worry my family. Besides, it's not as if I'll be permanently dead." I thought back to the encounter with Klaus.

* * *

 _ **Flashback.**_

* * *

 _Klaus and I shook hands._

" _Deal," he said, "but on one condition. Since there is no doubt that my werewolf and vampire sacrifices would be freed tonight, I need a back-up. I already have a werewolf, but I need a vampire. Now, which one of your little friends should I kill for the ritual?"_

 _A frisson of fear went up my spine. I remembered that in the show, he had chosen Jenna to be the vampire sacrifice. Over my dead body would I let that happen again. Before I could regret it, I said, "Take me. I am the best choice. Just allow a witch to put a resurrection spell on me, so that I don't permanently stay dead." My heart was beating like a hummingbird's as I offered the choice, and I was sure that he had heard it, since there was a small smirk on his face. Elijah gripped my knee under the table, and I knew he was asking me whether I was sure or not. I squeezed his hand to let him know it was all okay._

 _Klaus thought about it for a minute and said, "what if the ritual doesn't work due to the sacrifices resurrecting?"_

 _I raised an eyebrow and pointed to myself, saying, "Hello, seer here, remember? I have seen your ritual succeeding." I had indeed gotten a vision of Klaus transforming into a wolf and I told him so. He looked minutely happier on hearing this, a hint of a smile on his lips. He agreed to my terms and we took our leave, Elijah looking decidedly unhappy._

* * *

 _ **Flashback over.**_

* * *

I was brought back to reality by the sound of Elijah speaking.

"…do you think would happen if the spell wouldn't work? No, I absolutely refuse to let you sacrifice yourself. Klaus can find someone else."

I listened to this with growing anger. _I was an independent woman, who didn't need a man, thank you very much. I could make my own decisions, I was a grown-ass woman_ , I thought angrily.

I replied, seething, "Excuse me? You wouldn't let me? You chauvinistic vampire, I am of age and perfectly able to make my own decisions. I am not a little kid. Besides, I am the only safe option. I actually want to become a vampire. This way, no innocent blood needs to be spilled. The spell will ensure that I would survive. Why do you even care? I am just a human to you."

He looked taken aback at my little speech. Collecting himself, he replied, his tone frustrated, "Why do I care? I care because you are the first woman in a century to hold my attention. I am simply enchanted by you." Saying this, he flashed in front of me and kissed me.

As soon as his lips touched mine, I froze. In my previous life, I had had no experience at all, and hadn't even kissed anyone up till my death on my nineteenth birthday. I had no idea what to do.

When I took too long to respond, Elijah started to pull back. I unfroze and grasped his face in my hands and brought my lips to his. Tentatively, I moved my lips and he responded with fervor. His hands, which had been cradling my face, moved to my waist and he brought me even closer. Our kiss deepened and my hands slid into his hair. I could see fireworks behind my eyelids, which had slid down without me noticing.

We separated, breathing heavily. No words could have described what I was feeling, as I gazed into his eyes. He quirked his lips in a crooked smile and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Wow," I breathed out loud.

"Wow, indeed, my darling Artemisia. I apologize for kissing you without your permission, though." Elijah said.

I smiled and waved his apology away. I was about to open my mouth to say something, when I caught sight of the clock on my bedside table. My body tensed; it was time for Klaus to collect me for the ritual. Elijah noticed my tension and followed my gaze to the clock. He tensed as well. He had given me some of his blood in the morning, as he had been doing for the past few weeks.

A knock sounded on the door. Elijah and I shared another kiss and I went downstairs to answer the door, knowing who was on the other side. I opened the door and there stood Klaus, dressed in a blue Henley shirt and black jeans. He asked, "Ready to go, love? My witch has prepared the spell for you."

I nodded resignedly, and stepped across the threshold. I turned and saw that Elijah had come downstairs and was watching me with sadness and despair. I blew a kiss to him, turned to Klaus and nodded. Klaus cradled my face with surprising tenderness.

My world went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Please Review and tell me if you liked the chapter or not!**

 **Auf Wiedersehen!**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own my OC, Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 20.**_

* * *

 _ **Damon POV.**_

* * *

Damon still remembered the first time he had seen Artemisia in action. She had looked like a warrior goddess, her eyes glowing in their iridescence and her hair crackling with energy. Although she had killed Rose, Damon had admired the fluid way she had moved while battling with the female vampire. That night, he had vowed to get to know the enigmatic girl, whose very name suggested divinity.

All those times he had compelled her, it had tugged on the minuscule conscience he had had then. It had seemed wrong, even then, to him. But Elena had demanded, so he had had to comply, otherwise she would have had thrown a huge hissy fit.

His conversation with Sia had left him astonished, and his respect and admiration for her had shot up. He could hardly believe that such a slip of a girl could be so bad-ass. Later, when he had heard that she was the famed _Valkyrie,_ he had almost passed out from the shock. _Valkyrie_ was almost as infamous as the Original vampires. She was the judge, jury and executioner, all rolled into one, and no supernatural creature wanted to fall afoul of her and gain her attention. _Valkyrie_ was rumored to be in the middle of the huge ruckus in New Orleans that occurred a year ago. Apparently, a lot of vampires and witches had died in that event, which was being called the Purge of The French Quarter. He had steered clear of that area after that. But after having seen Artemisia in action, Damon had had no trouble believing that she was the supernatural equivalent of the Batman.

He had agreed to keep her involvement a secret, since he believed he owed her that much, at least. Slowly, he had come to care for her, almost as if she was his little sister. He could see that she had a lot on her shoulders and wished that he could lessen some of the burden.

He was slowly being disillusioned with Elena, and could now see the cracks and faults in her character. He wondered why on earth he had not noticed it before. He guessed that it was Artemisia's influence. Though, Elena's recent tantrums had also played a part in his disillusionment, funnily enough.

He wondered why Elena seemed to hate her sister so much. He had observed their interactions and had come to the conclusion that while being very much frustrated at her, Artemisia Gilbert loved her sister and would die for her. Damon was just not sure if the feeling was mutual. And that worried him.

* * *

The moment Elijah came into the abandoned witch house, Damon knew that something was wrong. For one thing Artemisia was nowhere to be seen. For another, the original vampire's eyes had the same look Damon had had when he had thought that Katherine was dead. Damon was quite alarmed. He hoped nothing had happened to Artemisia; the thought itself made his undead heart skip a beat.

He met Elijah's eyes and silently pleaded with him to say something. Elijah's face turned somber and there was grief, and anger, simmering in his eyes. He knew then, that something had definitely happened to Sia. Damon just hoped that she had not done anything stupid.

Elijah gestured for him to remain silent, and he nodded his assent. Elijah nodded back and went further inside to meet with the rest of the gang. Damon followed him; apparently, it was a group discussion. The gang was seated in a semicircle, with some sitting on the floor. Elena looked uncharacteristically nervous, wringing her hands.

"Ah good. You are all here. This makes everything much easier. Now, first, I have with me an elixir I had acquired a few years ago. It gives the drinker immunity from death for a day. This will be useful for Miss Gilbert here," said Elijah, his eyes sweeping over the group.

He brought out a wooden box from his coat pocket and opened it. The box was lined in red velvet and had a flask containing a dark fluid in it. He gave the box to Elena, but not before Bonnie had checked it over and pronounced it authentic. Elena opened the flask with a hint of trepidation on her face. Downing the liquid inside, she shuddered and said, "That was horrible. But is that it? No flashes of light or candles going out?"

Elijah smirked and said, "It is a potion, Miss Gilbert, not a spell. The changes are internal."

Damon smirked slightly. He began to wonder about Artemisia and if she was okay. He had noticed the closeness between Elijah and her. They had tried to hide it and had done their best to act otherwise, but over the last few weeks, Damon had come to know her quite well and had spotted it immediately. They gravitated towards each other. He knew that Elijah would not let Artemisia come to harm unless he had no choice. _What if Klaus had her?_ He suddenly felt cold at the thought.

He was brought out of his thoughts by his brother and Elena leaving. It was time for Elena to meet Klaus.

As he moved to leave the room, he felt a jolt of pain from his arm. He had forgotten about the bite. While he had been rescuing Blondie and Wolf Boy, he had been bitten by the werewolf. The bite was inflamed and he could feel his energy being slowly drained. He only hoped that he would get a chance to talk to Sia before he died.

He caught Elijah's eye and inclined his head towards the door. Damon led the way outside, with Elijah behind him. He turned around once they were out of earshot of everyone inside. He fixed Elijah with an unwavering stare and demanded, "Where's Artemisia, Elijah? Why is she not here? What did you do to her?"

Elijah sighed and said, "Calm down, Mr. Salvatore. I did not do anything to Artemisia. She made her own decision. Klaus needed a vampire sacrifice and was going to use one of you people. It seems as if the self-sacrificing streak runs among the Gilbert sisters, and Artemisia offered herself up as an alternative. Right now, she is in transition." Elijah held up a hand when Damon opened his mouth. Elijah continued, "Fear not. She will live. Klaus allowed a witch to put Resurrection Spell on her. I suspect he is intrigued by her. But believe me, it is not a decision I would have made. I simply had no choice in the matter; as Artemisia was kind enough to tell me, or rather, yell at me."

Damon was in despair. Two of the most important people in his life were getting sacrificed on an altar, and he could do nothing about it. The despair gradually gave way to resignation, and he made his way to the ritual site. Elijah had informed him that he no longer wanted to kill his brother, and that Artemisia didn't want him to, either. Damon was not as angry at that as he thought he would be, simply because he knew that he wouldn't be able to kill his own brother either.

They reached the ritual site just in time to see Klaus rip out the heart of a female werewolf and squeeze it over a bowl. Damon then noticed Artemisia calmly walk up to Klaus and lie down on the altar. Damon started forward, but found that he couldn't move. He looked towards Elijah, and found him similarly frozen in place, a look of despair and longing in his eyes.

Klaus kissed Artemisia on her forehead and readied the stake in his hands. She closed her eyes and Klaus brought the stake down, piercing her heart.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review, my dear readers!**

 **Special thanks to Nikole596 for betareading this chapter.**

 **Ciao!**


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own my OC, Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 21**_

* * *

 _ **Back in Artemisia's POV**_

* * *

As Klaus got ready to plunge the stake into my heart, I glanced into his eyes, and saw that they were filled with regret and sorrow. I gave him a reassuring smile and closed my eyes.

* * *

 _I was immediately transported to another place. I opened my eyes and saw that I was back in Sessrumnir, the abode of the goddess Freyja. The goddess herself was seated on her throne and I approached her. When I reached the foot of the dais, I kneeled before her._

" _Rise, my priestess," she said warmly, "it is good to see you again."_

" _Thank you, M'lady," I replied, "If I may, what am I doing here? Am I not supposed to be…" I trailed off._

 _The goddess smiled and replied, "Dead? My dear, I would never let my last priestess die! I simply brought you here to spare you from any pain of dying and resurrecting. Though, I am very proud of you; you were very noble in sacrificing yourself."_

 _I stayed silent, not knowing how to respond to the sentiment. Nervously shifting my weight from one foot to another, I waited for her to explain further._

 _Freyja continued, "Firstly, since you are the last one of your lineage, you are the most powerful of my priestesses. Unfortunately, it also means that the blood of the priestesses will die out with you. We gods cannot interact with the human realm, and therefore, I had chosen my priestesses from your family. Through my priestesses, I am able to influence the events happening on Midgard."_

" _Wait, does that mean that you can control my actions?" I asked her, mildly horrified._

 _Freyja gave a tinkling laugh and said, "no, no, my dear girl. I can't control your actions. I just control your visions and... filter them, I suppose. I can see the different futures, you know, and am able to decide which decisions can be the most beneficial. I was so glad when your Seiðr manifested itself as precognition. I was able to help you through that."_

 _Here she paused, and closed her eyes. Sighing, she continued, "I also wanted to address the issue of you being a traveler in this body. I was the one who transferred you from your previous dimension into this one. It had been predestined that the first Artemisia Gilbert would die on her eighteenth birthday. I did not want the line of the Priestesses to end. I was selfish, I admit. I apologize for causing you any inconvenience. Although in my defense, I had noticed that you were unhappy with your previous life, and I thought that you would be happier in this dimension."_

 _To be frank, I hadn't exactly given my reincarnation much thought. Due to the events that had happened recently, it had kind of slipped my mind. Honestly, I kind of agreed with the goddess' reasoning. I was definitely happier in the current dimension, than I had been in my older one. Though I had to deal with vampires and death almost daily, the people here made up for it. I had a loving family in Jenna, John and Jeremy, (and I guess Elena, though I wouldn't call her loving). I had a friend in Damon, and I had Elijah. I still didn't know what the hell I had with Elijah, and whether those two kisses would change the status quo._

 _A slight cough brought me out of my musings, and I blushed as I looked up. I said sheepishly, "Sorry, I was busy thinking. Honestly? I hadn't thought about the body-snatching much. The recent events drew it out of my mind. Though, I am not angry about it as I thought I would have been. I truly understand what you were saying. I would have done the same thing in your position. I kind of like it here."_

" _I'm glad," smiled Freyja, "But now that you are officially one of the undead, there are a few things that you should be aware of. You will still be able to access your Seiðr. However, it will be amplified. You would be able to not just see the future, but also be able to move and create matter and illusions, and be able to master the elements. However, you need to be careful while harnessing this power. It can overpower you and end your life. Secondly, as you are the last of my Priestesses, I have made you more evolved than the regular vampire. You are now on par with the Originals in terms of strength and vampirical abilities. I also made you immune to the sun and vervain. I did this to ensure that you are not killed easily. The only thing able to kill you is a stake made of a yew tree, one which grows in northern Scandinavia. I apologize for that. It seems that even a goddess cannot help a mortal escape death. It is a Divine Law."_

 _I stood stock still, trying to process the information I had just received. I could hardly believe my ears. The fact that I was able to keep my powers greatly relieved me. To be honest, I was kind of excited to try out my new abilities. I snapped out of my stupor and replied, bowing to Freyja, "thank you, M'Lady, for this generous gift. I will aim to make you proud."_

 _The goddess of War and Love smiled and rose from the throne. She came forward and embraced me, saying, "The pleasure's mine, my priestess. You are the daughter of my heart, if not of blood. Now, you seem to be waking up, so I'll send you back into your body. However, be warned, your body is in an uncomfortable place. But you won't have any difficulty getting out. Make me proud, Artemisia Freyjasdottir."_

* * *

I awoke with a gasp. I tried to sit up, but to consternation, I appeared to be confined in a rectangular wooden box.

Fantastic. I was already buried in a coffin.

* * *

Breaking out of the coffin, only to realize that there was six feet of soil over it, was not fun. It really made me feel like one of the undead. However, I managed it by clawing my way out. Messy, but effective. I was glad that it was nighttime and that no one was around to see my rebirth from the ground. I looked around myself and caught a glimpse of my tombstone. I took a closer look and found that it said-

 _Artemisia Gilbert_

 _1992-2011_

 _Loving sister and friend._

 _She lived as she died; kicking ass and taking names._

I felt amusement and sorrow on seeing my own tombstone. It is not something any person should have to see in their entire life. However, I was amused on seeing the last line. I had a feeling that either my brother or Damon had come up with that.

Upon thinking of my brother, I thought of my family, and immediately started panicking inside. _Oh Freyja! They think I am dead. I must have been dead for quite some time for them to bury me. What must have they gone through! And Damon! And Elijah! Oh, he must have been so furious at his brother for sacrificing me,_ I thought, bemoaning internally.

I pulled myself together after a while and started thinking rationally. I must have been "dead" for at least a week for them to think that I actually was dead. I needed information. Deciding to go home, I ran towards the cemetery gate and found out about the super speed. I was most pleased with it and laughed as I ran towards my house.

However, as I approached the door, I found some apprehension welling up within me. I found myself wondering whether my family would accept me as a vampire. I shook my head, dispelling the thoughts and rang the bell.

Jeremy opened it, and astonishment spread across his face. He gaped at me for a minute, and then I found myself in a bear hug, with Jeremy crying on my shoulder. The others came to see what was happening. They saw me and two other people joined us in a group hug. Jenna kept muttering "Thank God", over and over again. Uncle John just hugged me tightly, with his eyes glistening with unshed tears, while Jeremy just kept crying on my shoulder. I felt so happy at being back with my family, that I shed a few tears as well. I was home.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review and let me know how you feel about this chapter!**

 **Ciao!**


	23. Chapter 22

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own my OC, Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 22**_

* * *

A month. That's how long I had been dead. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard about it from Jeremy. There was this buzzing in my ears that drowned out the sound of Jeremy's voice. _What must have the others gone through in my absence,_ I thought _, mourning me, and then burying me._ I was snapped out of my thoughts by Jeremy waving a hand in front of my face. I shook my head and said, "Sorry Jere, I was just thinking. What did you say?"

Jeremy smiled sympathetically, and replied, "I was just explaining what had happened in your absence. Don't worry, it is a lot to take in, I know. I'll start again. So Elijah and Damon brought you and Elena back to the witch house. We were shocked on seeing you with a stake wound in your heart, and Elijah explained what had happened, about the deal you had made with Klaus to save us all. So we waited for you to wake up. Elena had awoken after an hour or so earlier. But when you didn't wake up even after two days, it was mayhem. Everyone was in a right state. Aunt Jenna was inconsolable. Damon was in shock. But Elijah, boy, was he mad. When Klaus came to the Boarding house to meet with his brother, there was a huge fight between them. If you ask me, Elijah totally kicked Klaus' ass. Then he told Klaus about your death. For the first time, I saw Klaus show any type of emotion. He looked regretful."

I stayed quiet, processing the information. Jenna took over the narration from Jeremy. They had held my funeral two days after my "death". Although, they had told the townspeople that I had left for a road trip. Elijah had left soon after, but not before giving his brother a tongue lashing.

Most of the events after that mimicked those from the second season of the TV show. Klaus took Stefan with him, when Stefan had come to bargain for the cure of a werewolf bite for Damon. Damon had been saved, while Stefan went with Klaus. I bet that he had become a ripper again, due to Klaus' meddling.

Elena was understandably distraught over losing her boyfriend to the Original hybrid. Apparently, she had been trying to track down Stefan, just like in the show, and Damon was helping her. Klaus had taken about a pint of her blood for creating his hybrids, and that had left her spitting mad. That had made her look for Stefan with a vengeance.

Damon had recovered from the werewolf bite and had blamed himself for my death for a while. He had lost himself in alcohol and women, in order to forget about my death. I felt bad for him and resolved to go and meet him the first chance I got.

They also told me of Jeremy being shot. I had known about it beforehand, but that did not stop me from being horrified and hugging him almost to death. Fortunately, Bonnie had been able to bring him back to life.

After a couple of hours of catching up with my family, I went in search of Damon. I reached the Boarding house and found out that I could enter houses without invitation. That made me pleased. I entered the house and went into the living room. Damon was sitting in an armchair, drinking bourbon. As I came into view, shock flashed upon his face, and I found myself being pulled into his arms. He pulled back and stammered, "What… How? When? Oh, I'm so glad to see you, Sia." He pulled me into another embrace. I seemed to be getting hugged a lot that day.

He let go of me and I settled into a sofa. He gave me a wink and a glass of whiskey. I smirked at him and raised my glass at him in thanks. I took a sip and said, "Glad to see that you have recovered from the Werewolf bite. It would have sucked if you had died."

He just smiled at that, looking a bit haunted. I continued and told him of my resurrection, and the events following. I hadn't told anyone about the conversations with the goddess Freyja and I wasn't planning to. I also kept quiet about my powers, not wanting unwanted attention.

We conversed about various topics and he told me quite a few things which the others hadn't known about. He told me about the search for Stefan and the trail of bodies he had left. I let him know that I was available for help whenever he wanted and took my leave.

* * *

I decided to go on a road trip for real, and my family members were fully supportive of the idea. Even Elena was happy about it, never mind the fact that it was because I would be out of her hair. Uncle John suggested that I take up the mantle of the _Valkyrie_ again. According to him, my vampirism would only help in hunting the crooks of the supernatural world. I agreed with him, silently vowing never to go to New Orleans again.

So I packed my bags, took my car and waved goodbye to the others. I had sort of lied about my intentions for the road trip. I was hunting, yes, but I was hunting Stefan and Klaus. I wanted to meet Klaus, and also wanted to get in touch with Elijah, just to inform them that I was alive.

One of the other reasons was that I wanted to try out my powers away from curious family members and friends. I wanted to control and harness them. I had had a scary moment while I had been packing my bags. I had been bemoaning the fact that there were too many clothes for me to pack, when, all of a sudden, all of my clothes had floated out of my cupboard, and folded and packed themselves into my two bags. I had been scared out of my wits and had looked frantically around me for witnesses. When there had been none, I had heaved a sigh of relief. Therefore, I wanted to see what other things I could do.

Leaving Mystic Falls, I headed towards Chicago in my car. I had saved up a lot of money over the year, and we Gilbert siblings all had trust accounts, so there was no dearth of money. I was heading to the Windy City, because, in the show, Klaus had gone there, looking for answers. I also wanted to meet up with Gloria, the witch. I had no idea whether the timeline would remain the same or not, as I had not gotten any visions indicating anything.

It took me a week to reach Chicago. Over the course of the journey, I had made many stops in various woods and forests to practice my _seiðr_. I was able to manipulate earth, water, fire and air. I also was able to create matter out of thin air. It was much like the magic in the Harry Potter books. I just had to imagine it concisely; otherwise it would be a disaster. Much like my folding clothes, I was able to move things with my mind and create illusions. Up until then, I had learned to create two copies of myself and control them. And I had only just scratched the surface of my _seiðr_.

I entered the city of Chicago, and looked for a hotel. Booking a room, I went and changed out of my icky travel clothes into something fancy. I put on a white Grecian-inspired one-shoulder dress and a pair of violet pumps to match my eyes. Looking up Gloria's Bar on Google Maps, I headed there. Parking my car, I gazed at the front of the shop, and immediately knew that Klaus was inside, along with Stefan.

I entered the establishment, and saw Gloria tending the bar. I immediately zeroed in at Klaus and started making my way towards him.

Klaus was sitting on one of the bar stools and nursing a drink. I slid in next to him and said, "Can I buy you a drink?"

Klaus turned towards me, opening his mouth to say something, and froze, an expression of utter disbelief on his face. I smirked and stole his drink. Taking a sip, I said in a teasing tone, "What, cat got your tongue? I am hurt. You don't look happy to see me, at all, Nik."

* * *

 **A/N: Please review, my darlings. I love reading about your comments about this story.**

 **Till we meet again!**


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own my OC, Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 23**_

* * *

I smirked. I seemed to be smirking a lot that day. Looking at Klaus' bemused face, I couldn't help myself and let out a chuckle. I slowly sipped the bourbon, while I waited for Klaus to collect himself. He recovered from the shock my appearance had given him, and said, "Hello love. I was not expecting to see you. At all. How come it took you so long to be alive again?"

I smiled at that and said, "Well, I am not 'alive', per se, but I am, as far as I know, some sort of a hybrid vampire, much like you, I think. As for how I am back in the land of the living, it seems as if my body needed to adapt to the changes and therefore, it took me a while to awaken."

Klaus nodded at that and looked as if he was going to say something, when he was distracted by the arrival of Stefan. Stefan looked surprised to see me as well, and said, "Artemisia. You are alive, I see."

"Hello Stefan," I greeted him, a bit coolly. Klaus cocked a brow when he heard the tone of my voice.

We were interrupted by the entrance of Damon and Elena, the latter's face twisting in an unpleasant way on seeing me. They made a beeline towards us, and once they were near us, Elena spat, "what the hell are _you_ doing here, and with _him_? I thought you were on a road trip?"

I rolled my eyes at her obvious hostility, and ignored her tirade. Klaus and Damon looked at her with surprised disgust, while Stefan was indifferent. I addressed Damon, "what brings you to the Windy City?"

Still looking at Elena with disgust, he replied, "I came here searching for Stefan. This one," he indicated Elena "threw a tantrum when I wouldn't take her along with me. I had to let her accompany me, just to stop her whining. While we are on this topic, why are you _here_?"

I whacked Klaus on his arm to stop his snickering, and deadpanned, "I had always wanted to try the Chicago pizza."

Damon scowled at my answer, and I flicked my eyes towards Elena. He nodded his understanding and suggested that Stefan and Elena go and do their couple-y stuff outside the bar. Klaus nodded grudgingly when I nudged him with my elbow.

When Stefan and Elena went outside, I said, "Well, the real reason why I am here, is because of you, Niklaus. Your pet Ripper is causing me a lot of problems. I have recently restarted my duties as _Valkyrie_ , and it is damaging to my reputation not being able to stop one Ripper. So, I want you to stop being a dick and let Stefan go back to being his normal bunny-eating pacifist self."

Klaus pretended to look insulted at being called a dick, but said, "And why should I do that, little hunter? What's in it for me?"

I replied, pretending to look a lot more self-assured than I felt, " _you_ would get the benefit of me being your informant. You let Damon here go back with his brother and I'll keep you informed about knowledge that you should know about. I do have my special ability to help with that, you know."

Damon looked confused and upset, and asked, rather forcefully, "What special ability? Why don't I know of this and why does Klaus know about it?"

I winced internally, the little fact that Damon did not know about my visions having slipped my mind. I sighed and answered, "Sorry Damon, I did not mean for you to find out this way. I have a quirk in my genes that allows me to get visions of the possible future. Sometimes, I also just know about things and people I have never seen or heard of. For example, just know, before entering this bar, I immediately knew that Klaus and Stefan were inside. The ability carried over from my human life. I apologize for not telling you this earlier. I didn't want to tell anyone about this. I only told Klaus and Elijah in order to make a deal with them to save lives, like my sister's."

Damon nodded slowly and told me that he understood. Klaus, having been uncharacteristically silent the whole time during my explanation, spoke up, "while this is all very nice, can we get back to the topic at hand? I have a better proposition. I compel Stefan to drink animal blood again and let him go back home. In return, Artemisia takes Stefan's place. I won't let her become a ripper, don't worry." Klaus added the last part when he saw Damon looking worried.

I refused to look at Damon as I said yes to Klaus' proposition.

* * *

We travelled all over the US, searching for werewolf packs. Those we found were immediately converted into hybrids. All of the transformations were voluntary, a rule I insisted on. The werewolves were grateful for a chance to escape from the monthly torture they had to go through.

We had just finished with one such pack, when I was hit by a vision.

 _It was the inside of a large mausoleum. There was an open sarcophagus in the middle with a man inside. Chains were hanging on the sides of the sarcophagus, as if they had just been removed._

 _A woman and a man stood in the shadows, their features indecipherable. The blond man in the sarcophagus slowly sat up, kind of like in those cheesy horror movies. I got a glimpse of the man's face and gasped. It was Mikael._

I came out of the vision with a shuddering gasp. I opened my eyes and found myself almost nose-to-nose with a concerned Klaus. I drew back a little in surprise, and Klaus said, "Was it a vision? What was it about? What did you see?"

I laughed shakily and said, "Whoa! Slow down, Klaus. Yes, it was a vision. Before I tell you, you need to do something. You need to contact Elijah."

Klaus humphed and said, "You know as well I do, he is not picking up my calls. Neither is he picking up yours. How on earth am I going to contact Elijah, if even my witches can't locate him?"

"I don't know! You'll figure out something. In the meantime, you need to wake Rebekah up. We are going to need her. You also need to come clean about your mother and what really happened to her. It's going to be the deal breaker."

"Wait, hold up. I'm not going to wake her up. She's going to be so furious with me! More so, when I tell her the truth about Esther." A pause. "You are going to do that, even without me, aren't you?" Klaus sighed, resignedly.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review!**

 **This is a short chapter, I know.**

 **Sorry!**


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own my OC, Artemisia.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 24_**

* * *

Klaus slid the dagger out of Rebekah's heart, and we waited for her to wake up. We went outside the room, as Klaus left a couple of blood bags beside Rebekah. I thought back to our conversation we had had before waking up Rebekah.

* * *

 _Flashback._

* * *

 _I found Klaus sitting at the bar, a glass of what I assumed to be blood in his hand. The bar was empty, so I guessed that Klaus had compelled the rest of the patrons to leave. I walked in slowly and he turned towards the sound of my footsteps. He had a brooding expression on his face, but it lightened slightly when he saw me coming. I slid into the seat beside him and poured myself a glass of blood. I took a sip of it and realized that I had gone way too long without feeding. I grimaced at the feeling in my throat, and could feel my eyes darkening as my vampire visage came forth. I knocked back the glassful and poured another glass._

 _Klaus gazed at me and murmured,_ _"_ _Gorgeous._ _"_ _I didn_ _'_ _t think he meant for me to hear it, given how he had muttered it almost soundlessly._

 _I dismissed it, thinking that he meant my vampire face, which even I admit looked quite intimidating and stunning. Unlike usual vampires, my eyes glowed violet, rather than turning red, when my fangs came forth._

 _Having sated my thirst, I took the incentive to address the elephant in the room._

 _"_ _What are you going to tell Rebekah when you wake her up?_ _"_ _I asked Klaus._

 _He grimaced at my question, but answered,_ _"_ _I personally don_ _'_ _t want to tell her anything. However, I agree that it would make everything easier if I came clean._ _"_

 _I nodded, and said,_ _"_ _It would be for the best if you told your siblings the truth. Yes, even Elijah, and later, Kol and Finn, as well. But it is imperative that you tell Rebekah first._ _"_

 _"_ _She is going to crucify me,_ _"_ _Klaus said, wincing._

 _"_ _Well, I don_ _'_ _t blame you for killing Esther, if that helps you feel any better. You can justify it to Rebekah by telling her of the fact that your mother deliberately lessened your strength in order to hide that you were of werewolf descent._ _"_

 _Apparently, Klaus hadn_ _'_ _t known that fact, as his face morphed into a surprised and furious one. I spent the rest of the hour explaining to him about his mother_ _'_ _s actions._

* * *

 _End of flashback._

* * *

Soon enough, we could hear sounds of drinking from the next room, signaling that Rebekah was awake. I smirked, knowing that the chances of her stabbing Klaus were very high. I stood up and saw that Klaus had done the same.

A white blur came out of the room and threw Klaus into the wall. I could see that Klaus had not put up even a token of resistance. Seeing that Rebekah was palming the silver dagger, I chuckled. Rebekah stiffened at that sound. She stabbed Klaus in the chest, and sped towards me. I could see that she was still in a furious state of mind and was immediately alert.

Rebekah grabbed my neck and slammed me into the wall behind me. I saw Klaus starting towards us. However, I had no intention of being rescued, and was incensed that someone had gotten under my defenses so fast. I grabbed her hand and twisted it away from my neck, breaking it in the process. That caught Rebekah off-guard, and gave me enough time to reverse our position. I pinned her shoulders to the wall with my forearm and rested my katana on her neck as a warning. I had beheaded some vampires that very morning, and the blade was stained red.

Rebekah froze, fear seeping into her eyes at being overpowered. Still pinning her to the wall, I warned, "Never do that again, sweetheart. I am a hunter with some very unfortunate reflexes, and I bet your brother won't be pleased with me for accidently hurting you."

She nodded, still speechless. I let her go and sheathed my katana. I turned towards Klaus and saw him looking at me with raised eyebrows, calculation and desire warring in his eyes, with a hint of anger. I then realized that I, a newborn vampire, had overpowered an Original. Oops.

"How did you do that? When did you become so strong?" Klaus demanded.

I took a deep breath and explained, "When I was 'dead', I think that I received a boost in my strength and speed to be on par with an Original, along with keeping my powers. I guess that I can be classified as a hybrid, much like you."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at my explanation and accused me, "You're hiding something."

I nodded and replied, "I am. However, I will not tell you unless Elijah is also present for the explanation."

Klaus made a face at that, but said nothing. I had two reasons for applying that condition. Even though I had known Klaus and had been in his company for the last few months, I still didn't trust him as much I trusted Elijah. I also wanted him to start looking for Elijah using more effort, using his curiosity as a trigger.

I saw Rebekah looking quite confused, and sighed. I told Klaus to explain everything to her, and went to my room to sleep. It had been a long day.

* * *

When I heard about Rebekah's reaction to everything Klaus had told her, I thanked Freyja that I had not been present for that. Apparently, Rebekah had made ample use of the vases and tumblers in their suite and had thrown all of them at Klaus' head. There had been lots of shouting and crying, and I had slept through it all. When I emerged from my room the next morning, I was treated to a lot of dirty looks from Klaus. I smiled cheerfully at him and suggested that we needed to go shopping for Rebekah. The female vampire in question, who had been sitting in stony silence, cheered up at that.

I felt that we had started off on the wrong foot, and went towards her. I extended my hand and said, "Hey there. I feel that our introduction was a tad awkward yesterday. My name is Artemisia Gilbert, but you can call me Sia."

Rebekah smirked, and shook my hands, saying, "Nice to meet you, Sia. My name is Rebekah Mikaelson, and I am the younger sister of this bastard."

I smirked back at her and said, "Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, shall we embark on our shopping adventure? You'll find that nowadays, fashion isn't what you were used to in the Roaring Twenties."

She nodded and Klaus groaned. I blew him a kiss and Rebekah and I went out, laughing.

Klaus and I compelled an exclusive clothing store to serve us, and they were doing it with style. We were led into a private dressing room and were served pink champagne. Then Rebekah began to try on clothes.

After three hours and numerous clothing changes, Rebekah had chosen only one outfit. While I loved shopping as much as the next person, I still had my limits. I groaned and got up to help Rebekah. Klaus shot me a grateful look, having been just as frustrated as me. I went and grabbed a black blazer, a red blouse and white jeans, and gave it to Rebekah in the changing room. After a few minutes, she came out and I nodded in approval. The outfit suited her. Then I went to work, bringing her numerous clothes that I felt would suit her personality. We quickly finished her shopping, and then Rebekah pestered me to buy a few things for myself as well. I tried to protest, but then she pointed out that Klaus was paying for everything. That changed my mind pretty quickly, and I set about finding some outfits.

While I was in the changing room, Rebekah handed me a dress and told me, in no uncertain terms, to try it on. I took it reluctantly, as I was not a fan of dresses. I put it on and gazed in the mirror, and had to admit that it looked amazing on me. It was a gold and cream colored, Grecian-inspired floor length dress, with a slit up one leg. I took another look at myself in the mirror, and stepped out of the changing room.

Rebekah gasped and wolf-whistled at me. On the other hand, Klaus became extremely still and gripped his glass of champagne tightly. His pupils dilated and his gaze zeroed in on my neck, which I had left bared by pinning up my hair earlier. I blushed at their reactions, still not used to people looking at me with appreciation for my looks. I quickly went back and changed into my regular clothes, feeling confused at Klaus' reaction.

I came out and we quickly gathered our stuff. Klaus paid for our purchases and we went back to the hotel. We had made the decision to go back to Mystic Falls by the earliest, and so we packed and loaded our luggage into the car Klaus had acquired for us. I got into my beloved Corvette and followed the others out of the parking lot.

Mystic Falls better be prepared.

* * *

 **A/N: Please Review!**

 **Ciao!**


	26. Chapter 25

**A/N: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own my OC, Artemisia.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 25**_

* * *

It was an overcast sky and a dreary atmosphere that welcomed us as we rolled into Mystic Falls. I tried not to take the dismal setting as a sign of what was to come, but could not shake the feeling that despite my many efforts, ( _cough_ meddling _cough_ ), some of us were going to die. It was as if death itself was looking over my shoulder, casting a long shadow over the proceedings. Over the past few months, I had come to the realization that gut feeling was a lot more important and life-saving than I had previously thought. Coupled with my ability to See the possible timeline, the shivers down my spine told me that danger was imminent. Whether that danger was Mikael or something else entirely, remained to be seen.

Seeing my body tense, Rebekah asked, concernedly, "Are you alright, Sia? Did you get another vision?"

"Oh, no, no. Nothing of the sort. I just had a feeling that things are going to be quite interesting in town, now that we have arrived." I replied, masking my true feelings and giving her a smirk. I decided on a half-truth, because I wanted to investigate further, before alarming the siblings. It would only serve to make Klaus more paranoid, and quite frankly, I had had enough of that man's ego and paranoia.

She nodded and faced the front again. I was driving my car and Rebekah had claimed the shotgun seat, saying that she had had enough of her brother's maudlin attitude and wanted to have some girl time. I had shrugged and accepted it. I figured that the girl was a little starved for company, having been stuck in a coffin for nearly a century.

Klaus was following us in a small, black truck which held the coffins of his incapacitated brothers and his dead mother. I was thankful that I had my own car.

"Uh, Sia, my brother seems to have taken the detour we just passed," Rebekah pointed out, glancing at the reverse mirror.

I smirked. I deftly swung my car into my house's driveway and parked it in the garage. I got out and Rebekah followed my lead. Locking my car, I leaned on the roof of the Corvette and said to Rebekah, "Well, you did say that you wanted to have some girl time. And I bet that you need to catch up on the latest events. So, welcome to Casa Gilbert!"

Rebekah gaped at me. I started whistling, my grim mood having been lifted successfully. I skipped to door and fished out my key. I heard the youngest original flash behind me, but I ignored her in favor of getting the door open. I ran inside as soon as the door opened and saw Jeremy sketching on the sofa. I leapt on him happily, having missed my family more than I had thought. He gave a startled yelp as 150 pounds of vampire flesh fell on him in the form of his sister.

"Jere-Bear! Miss me?" I asked him cheekily, my eyes twinkling like Dumbledore's.

After a second of shocked silence, Jeremy let out a whoop of delight and he scooped me into his arms and gave me a bear hug. After a few moments, my brother let go and I righted myself on the sofa. Jeremy said, "It's so great to see you again, Sia. So, how was your road trip?"

I was about to answer him, when I heard a cough come from the doorway. Damn. I had forgotten about Rebekah. I flashed to the door and saw that Rebekah was standing just outside the house, tapping her foot. I smiled sheepishly at her and said, "Sorry about that. I was a bit exited about coming home. Wait here; I'll get Jeremy to invite you inside. However," There I became serious, "If you ever harm even a hair on one of my relatives', and yes, that includes my sister, Mikael will be the least of your worries. Understood?"

Rebekah nodded, her eyes darkening a bit, no doubt thinking of our first encounter. I then brightened, and yelled for Jeremy. He came into the hallway and stopped short on seeing Rebekah. He eyed her and I was pleased to note that he seemed more cautious than lustful. I introduced them, "Jeremy, this is Rebekah Mikaelson, a friend and Klaus' sister. Rebekah, this is my baby brother, Jeremy. Jere, I need you to invite her in."

Jeremy's eyes had widened on hearing that she was Klaus' sister. He scrutinized her for a moment, and nodded to himself. I was a bit amused at this, but kept my amusement hidden. He then invited Rebekah in, and after the pleasantries were over, went back to his sketching.

I gave her a brief tour of the house, and then led the way upstairs to my bedroom. I swung the door open and flopped onto my bed, giving a sigh of relief as I went boneless. Rebekah eyed my antics with amusement, and took my bedroom in. I got the distinct feeling that she approved of the décor, given that it had a slight Victorian feel. She seated herself on the edge of the bed, smoothing down the duvet. She kept her eyes lowered, picking off some invisible lint. I narrowed my eyes at her, and asked, "What's the matter, Rebekah?"

She was silent for a few moments, before raising her head and saying, "Why the hell are you helping me and my family? And don't give me the crap about making a deal with my brother. It burns me to admit it, but the fact remains; you are much more powerful than an original vampire. Why are you pretending to be someone you are not?"

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 **A/N: Please review!**

 **My sincerest apologies for not updating sooner. College and real life got in the way of writing and composing.**

 **Next chapter coming this week!**

 **Ciao!**


	27. Chapter 26

**A/N: a million thanks to all the reviewers! People like you make my heart happy and encourage me to write.**

 **Now, I have gotten a few comments about Sia beginning to look like a Mary Sue and that I have given her a few too many abilities. While I understand it may seem so, all I ask for is patience.**

 **Remember, Nature always finds a balance.**

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 **Note: Neither Vampire Diaries nor its characters belong to me. I only own my OC, Artemisia.**

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 _ **Chapter 26**_

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 _ **Previously, on Uncharted Waters….**_

 _I gave her a brief tour of the house, and then led the way upstairs to my bedroom. I swung the door open and flopped onto my bed, giving a sigh of relief as I went boneless. Rebekah eyed my antics with amusement, and took my bedroom in. I got the distinct feeling that she approved of the décor, given that it had a slight Victorian feel. She seated herself on the edge of the bed, smoothing down the duvet. She kept her eyes lowered, picking off some invisible lint. I narrowed my eyes at her, and asked, "What's the matter, Rebekah?"_

 _She was silent for a few moments, before raising her head and saying, "Why the hell are you helping me and my family? And don't give me the crap about making a deal with my brother. It burns me to admit it, but the fact remains; you are much more powerful than an original vampire. Why are you pretending to be someone you are not?"_

* * *

 **Now…**

I stared at her, dumbfounded. I immediately wanted to refute her statement. However, her question kept echoing in my mind.

 _Why are you pretending to be someone you are not?_

That hit a little too close to home. While I could feel that her question was aimed towards my tendency to keep my abilities cloaked, it ripped the shroud off of a deep-seated fear, one which I had locked away in one of the most isolated corner of my mind. One which I had no intention of ever seeing the light of the day. The fear of being rejected by the family I had come to call my own, because I had replaced their precious Artemisia. That they would find out that I was not the same person that they had grown up with.

I was internally hyperventilating; not wanting anyone to find out, for it might lead to me loosing the only people that had accepted me unreservedly, in present life or the previous one.

Some of my panic and fear must have had bled into my face, as Rebekah immediately backpedalled and said, hastily, "I'm sorry. I should not have had asked such a personal question. I did not mean to upset you."

I collected myself and shook my head, as if doing it would shake off the mind-numbing terror taken root in my mind. I smiled wanly at her, and reassured her, "No, it's alright. You had every right to ask me that question. To be honest, I myself hadn't realized that I was hiding myself. You just shocked me, I assure you."

"So why _are_ you concealing yourself?"

I heaved a sigh and decided to go with a half-truth.

"I don't want my friends and family to fear me. I am also afraid that when they find out the whole truth about me."

"What do you mean? What truth? You can tell me, Sia. I promise I won't judge you or treat you differently. I mean, I am an Original, love. Believe me; I have done far more atrocious things than anything you can ever do."

I half-smiled at that, and said, "While I am not disputing that, I am concerned about the reactions from my aunt and my siblings. And even my uncle and Damon. They…..think that I am a supernatural hunter, and they admire me for that. But I have killed humans too. And I don't regret it. Does that make me a bad person?" I blinked back tears, stunned by what I had said, since I had not even admitted this to myself until then.

Rebekah's face softened, and she gave an empathetic smile. She said nothing, and just opened up her arms towards me.

The understanding and concern I could see in her eyes made me tumble over the edge and my face crumbled. I collapsed in her arms and started sobbing. Her arms came around to wrap me up in a protective embrace. Rebekah rubbed my back and comforted me as I fell apart in her arms.

* * *

Rebekah glanced down at the young woman in her arms and saw that she had fallen asleep, tear tracks still visible on her cheeks. She sighed. Times like these, she really did feel the weight of her years, reminding her that although she was seventeen in body, she had the experience of over a thousand years.

Though she had known Sia for a few months only, she felt an odd kinship towards the enigma that was Artemisia Gilbert. Perhaps it was the fact that she could see the attraction and curiosity that Niklaus felt towards Sia, or maybe it was the fact that she had always wanted a sister. Whatever the reason, Rebekah felt an uncharacteristic protectiveness towards the nineteen year old girl (for that's what she was; just a girl with an enormous burden on her svelte shoulders, under which she was slowly but surely breaking down), welling up inside of her. Rebekah vowed to do whatever she could to lessen the weight on her shoulders and protect her to the best of her abilities.

 _Buzzzzz!_

Rebekah was startled out of her inner monologue by the buzzing of her phone. She sighed in irritation, for it could not be anyone but her bastard of a brother. She took out her phone and opened the message.

 _Where are you?  
I need your assistance.  
Call me ASAP_

 _Nik._

She huffed, annoyed at the high-handed tone she could sense from the text. Carefully laying Artemisia down on the bed and tucking her in, Rebekah tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway. Dialing Klaus' number, she tapped her foot impatiently, as she waited for him to pick up. Finally, he did.

"What do you want?" she growled, irritated.

" _What I want is for you and Artemisia to come down to the local high school with me. I want to introduce you properly to the Doppelganger and her little friends."_

She grimaced and said, "I'll be there in a few minutes. Leave Sia out of this for a bit. She's sleeping."

" _So? Wake her up, then."_

"Nik, she cried herself to sleep in my arms. Let her be."

" _What happened, Bekah?"_

Rebekah could hear the underlying note of concern in her brother's voice. She smiled, knowing that her brother was smitten with the huntress. The smile slid off, as she remembered the reason for Sia's tears. She bit her lip, debating whether to tell her brother or not.

She then sighed and said, "She faced a few of her demons. That's all I am willing to say. If she decides to tell you she will."

"… _Alright. I won't pry. Will the little one be okay?"_

"I don't know, Nik. We'll have to wait and see."

" _Fine. Now, hurry up and come to the school. I'll be waiting."_

 _Click._

Rebekah harrumphed at the abrupt way Klaus had cut the phone call, but began to make her way to the school.

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 **Bit of an introspective chapter here. More to come next!**

 **A/N: Please review!**

 **Until next time!**


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